《Phantom》 Chapter 1 - Awakening In the world of Galamixa, there existed 4 continents; Remika, Purta, Wasania and Verzan. On the continent of Purta, the ruling race were the Humans. The royal family had ruled for tens of thousands of years and they are constantly in skirmishes with the other Kingdoms. Wasania, a continent only for Elves, any intruders would die without a second chance. There are thirteen elders which is ruling the continent. Verzan, a continent which values strength above anything else, and that you must be a Demon, anyone can challenge the ruler if they have strength approved by the people. These three continents have strict rules and rarely accepts anyone from other continent, the Demons, Elves and Humans has a strong hatred against each other. On the other hand, on the continent of Remika, a special church existed. It didn¡¯t worship any Gods, but a simple person... Within the continent of Remika, the three races coexisted in peace; the Humans, the Elves and the Demons. For thousands of years, no war had broken out. The reason for that? The reason was because of a single person; Phantom. Only the highest authority of each race; the Priestesses, knows his true name. In the history of Remika, Phantom would appear out of nowhere and vanish like he never existed. These appearances began over hundred thousand years ago, and the last one was two thousand years ago. In the capital of Remika; Phanasia, was a great temple made from white stone and marbles. The temple was quiet as ever, no one dared to raise their voice or breathe loudly. There were nuns and priests wearing white robes slowly walking from one location to another, behind the nuns and priests, were younger children wearing white robes following while glancing everywhere in awe. The children were different looking, some had different skin colour, some had long ears and others had horns on their head. There was no racial discrimination or for their skin colour, because they were all believing in the same thing; Phantom. Their only hope is to meet Phantom in their lifetime, even if they can¡¯t, they would be honoured to protect his sleeping ground. In the continent of Remika, the nuns and priests have high status. Every child can test their abilities to become either a nun or a priest at the age of 7. Deeper inside of the temple was a large room with four thrones. One throne stood above the rest, it was made from a dark material, but it shone brighter than the sun. The other three thrones were smaller and below the dark one. One of them was made of red ruby, the second one was made of green emerald and the last one was made of gold. Right at this time, sat three figures respectively on the green, red and golden throne. On the golden throne sat a young female in her early twenties; she had golden hair down to her waist and blue eyes, she was tall, and she wore a golden robe. And in her hand was a sceptre. On the green throne sat a young girl in her late teens; she had green hair down to her stomach and sparkling golden eyes. The remarkable difference from her and normal humans was that she had longer ears. On the side of the throne was a dark bow. On the red throne was a young girl, not even reaching 15 years old. She had short red hair which reached down to her shoulder and bright red eyes. She wore a red dress as she narrowed her eyes, the difference from her and the other two was that she had two horns on her head. There was a red sword leaning against her throne. ¡°The signs were clear, right?¡± The young girl on the red throne asked in a slightly cold voice. ¡°Yes.¡± The girl on the green throne answered with a small nod before narrowing her eyes as she stared at the young girl sitting on the red throne. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°Violette, you better not act like that in front of our Highness...¡± ¡°Humph...¡± Violette snorted as she gazed at the elf. ¡°Elizabeth, my soul and body is for his personal use. Do you think a mere elf like you can compare to me?¡± ¡°Both of you, stop.¡± The human priestess raised her hand, interrupting the two. ¡°We are gathering here for one reason; to wait for him to awaken.¡± ¡°Sarah, did you receive any clear signs of why he is waking up?¡± Elizabeth asked as she glanced at Sarah. Sarah shook her head gently. ¡°I had a dream about him waking up. There were no signs of when, but it should be not long.¡± ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Violette asked as she raised her eyebrows. ¡°Because us three in my dream looked exactly as we are now.¡± Sarah said it while lowering her voice. ¡°There must be a reason for him to wake up, we can¡¯t make any slip-ups or cause him any kind of discomfort.¡± Sarah bit her lips as she continued speaking. ¡°He is always protecting us, we are not little lambs any longer. With each passing generation of Priestesses, we become stronger with their teaching and the holy weapons.¡± While saying this, Sarah glanced at her spectre, Elizabeth''s bow and Violette''s sword. ¡°...¡± Neither Violette nor Elizabeth spoke a word, but they were fully agreeing with Sarah. They have been training day and night since they were young to be of help to Phantom. ¡°How about we go and look at his Highness¡¯s body...?¡± After a whole minute of silence, Elizabeth asked with a low voice. ¡°I agree.¡± Violette agreed without a second thought. Even Sarah grew slightly excited as she nodded repeatedly. Elizabeth stood up first and walked towards the wall behind the dark throne. Following behind her were Sarah and Violette The three of them stood at three different locations near the wall and touched an outlined stone at the same time. ¡°Crack...¡± The wall made a low voice before it opened like a door, leading to a staircase. Violette entered first and walked slightly faster. With haste, Sarah and Elizabeth followed behind Violette. Neither one of them wanted to be slower than the other. Violette managed to enter first, over five hundred meters below the temple was a large room, the area where Phantom was resting. Elizabeth, Violette and Sarah quieted down, not even breathing loudly. They walked slowly towards the coffin in the centre of the room, Inside of the coffin laid a man in a dark cloak covering his whole body and a dark mask on his face. Elizabeth stretched her hand towards Phantom, but retracted it when she knew what she was doing. Sorry, Highness... She apologised deeply. Only a few Priestesses since the existence of Remika has seen Phantom¡¯s real appearance. Elizabeth, Sarah and Violette all had the chance to unmask Phantom, but they never did so. It was blasphemy and for sure the other two Priestesses would attack the one who unmasked him. ¡°He looks very peaceful...¡± Sarah sighed as she stared at Phantom in a daze. ¡°I wonder if we can be of use to him for when he wakes up.¡± Sarah continued speaking, when Sarah blinked, a tear ran down her cheek. Elizabeth wanted to say something, but she bit her lips and kept quiet. Violette stared at Phantom with wide open eyes, hoping to see him wake up. But, in the end, Violette turned around and walked away. Her face was twitching, and Violette could barely control herself from touching Phantom. Not even a step behind, Sarah and Elizabeth followed. Elizabeth, Sarah and Violette, the three of them had been struggling since they were born to become someone who can assist Phantom. Also, whenever they see Phantom sleeping, they can¡¯t help but would always feel sad. Because every time Phantom awakens, he would have to fight for Remika¡¯s safety and in the end, rest¡­ A frown appeared on Violette¡¯s face, she narrowed her eyes as she gnashed her teeth with force. Her young face darkened as she raised her chest while holding her red sword fiercely. Humph! I won¡¯t let anyone harm Phantom when he wakes up! Violette was one of the few people among the whole continent that can remember Phantom¡¯s last moments before his current sleep. She can¡¯t help but remember what happened during that night, the heavens were roaring and the only one that stood against that might alone was Phantom. Wearing a dark cloak and a mask, he stood there without letting out a voice, resisting the strength surpassing anything that has been seen, unmoving as a mountain. Violette wasn¡¯t stupid to think that Phantom was stronger than that unknown power, it was that Phantom couldn¡¯t move away because there were civilians behind him. Violette¡¯s blood red eyes turned cold as she could still remember blood splashing out of Phantom¡¯s body before the unknown power left and Phantom went to sleep, which has been going on for over two thousand years. ¡°¡­¡± Something interrupted the three¡¯s thoughts, Violette was the first one to turn her head towards Phantom. An invisible might was slowly coming forth from Phantom¡¯s body. Sarah held her sceptre as she stared at Phantom in awe. Elizabeth held her bow, not letting her eyes of Phantom¡¯s body, not blinking even once, for any chance to miss anything. Violette held her sword, breathing heavily as she sensed the awakening of Phantom. In front of the three Priestesses, Phantom opened his eyes through the mask, two dark pupils could be seen. Phantom didn¡¯t show any surprise, he only slowly stood up from the coffin and glanced at Sarah and Elizabeth without any hint of surprise, but a tinge of surprise showed on his face when he saw Violette. Chapter 2 - A brave girl Somewhere in the Continent of Purta. An old man clad in white clothing was sitting on a throne. That old man would rarely open his eyes, but at this moment, his eyes were open and facing the West ¨C towards Remika. ¡°It seems that something fun is going to unfold. I should prepare...¡± The old man muttered before closing his eyes without any care. Somewhere in the Continent of Wasania Thirteen elves sat on their chairs around a round table. There were men and women participating, but one male and one female seemed to be prioritised as they were sitting on thrones and had beautiful clothing. ¡°All of you must have sensed it, right?¡± The woman who sat on the throne seemed to be in her late thirties, spoke with an uninterested voice. The male beside her started speaking right afterward. ¡°That means some of our plots might be seen through, we need to discuss our future plans in detail.¡± If you look closely, the man was rather similar looking as the woman. They had same looking face, hair, eyes and even their build was rather similar. In their Continent, they would often be called ¡®The Twin Stars''. Somewhere in the Continent of Verzan In a throne room, a woman in her twenties sat on a purple throne. She had two horns on her head and her hair was black. ¡°Hehehe, seems like the rumoured Phantom is awake...!¡± She had a ferocious smile on her face as she spoke. On the Continent of Remika Sarah, Elizabeth and Violette swiftly went down on their knees, not daring to raise their heads in front of Phantom. Sarah and Elizabeth were trembling, not out of fear, but out of eagerness. Violette wanted badly to raise her head, but she forced herself not doing so. Phantom stared intensively at the three Priestesses for a while before opening his mouth. ¡°Lead me to somewhere where we can speak.¡± Phantom¡¯s voice was slightly hoarse, but he managed to speak clearly. He didn¡¯t find it fitting to speak to the three Priestesses in a room where he had been sleeping for two thousand years. Violette, Sarah and Elizabeth rose from the ground at the same time, but their heads were lowered. The three Priestesses walked out of the room and up the stairs towards the throne room. Throughout the two-minute walk, the three of them had glanced behind themselves towards Phantom at least two hundred times each. Phantom didn¡¯t mind their glances, as he was focused on something else. What''s the reason for my awakening this time? I couldn''t sense any danger or schemes big enough to endanger Remika. Also, it seems like I still haven''t recovered from my last battle against them... After having finished his thoughts, Phantom saw the familiar throne room. The one he built a very long time ago for himself and the first generation of the three Priestesses. Phantom walked towards his own throne, sitting on it comfortably. As he glanced at the Priestesses, he was slightly surprised. When Sarah saw Phantom''s majestic figure sitting on the throne, she couldn¡¯t help but kneel in awe. Her heart was racing as she stared deeply at Phantom with a slight blush on her face. Elizabeth was also on her knees. The reason for that was because she had been holding it in for way too long. She had always wanted to stay with Phantom and help him. Now that she can do so, she couldn¡¯t help but kneel in submission for her beloved Highness. Violette was the only one not kneeling, but her gaze never left Phantom the moment he sat on the throne. All the memories, all the locked-up feelings wanted to burst out. Her heart was beating very fast.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Sarah and Elizabeth sent a cold gaze towards Violette at the same time when they saw that Violette didn¡¯t kneel towards Phantom. ¡°Stop.¡± Phantom raised his left hand slowly, his movements were fluid, almost like that he had done it millions of times in the past. The three Priestesses were all interested in the movements of Phantom, none of them had lived for a short while and they have seen many things. They could clearly see that Phantom was someone who has lots of experience of a real King. ¡°Thank you for protecting Remika during my sleep.¡± Phantom spoke while glancing between Elizabeth, Sarah and Violette. His black pupils could be seen through his mask, Phantom was obviously glancing at them absentmindedly. ¡°It is our joy to protect Remika, your Highness.¡± Elizabeth was the first one to speak, she lowered her body slightly, bowing towards Phantom. Her heart did skip a beat when she saw him glancing at her with a soft gaze. ¡°It is us who should thank you for having protected us in the past, not the other way, Lord.¡± Sarah bowed as she spoke with a soft smile on her face. She hasn¡¯t been able to calm down since Phantom woke up, all of this was like a dream for her. Phantom is in front of me. The one I have been admiring since I was little. ¡°Master¡­!¡± Violette¡¯s voice was small, tears could be seen merging from the corner of her eyes. Phantom¡­ ¡°Violette¡­¡± Phantom stared at Violette, his eyes were dull as he was thinking about what happened two thousand years ago before his sleep. Phantom at that time was facing someone he didn¡¯t want to face. But, behind him stood the inhabitants of Remika, Phantom could never back down with that thought in his mind. Phantom could remember the rain hitting his face and the fear welling up in his heart. But, standing bravely, he never took a single step backwards, he stood there like a mountain, enduring. This was something Phantom was used to, but he would never have thought that in the corner of his eyes, he would see a little demon girl below him, shouting with a loud voice. ¡°PHANTOM, I WILL SAVE YOU!!!¡± A little girl with red hair and red eyes with tears running down her cheeks was running towards him with a sword in her hand. She jumped on the air, with each jump, her muscles broke down because of the strenuous force needed to do so. Phantom was in a daze when he saw this. He thought that the current Priestesses had already evacuated everyone¡­ With the small frame of time, the young demon girl jumped in front of Phantom and waved her sword, cutting one of incoming wave attacks. Before the young demon girl could smile, another wave attack hit her, sending her hurling towards the ground. The young demon girl could only see the dark sky. Mother, I did my best¡­ I protected him¡­! She smiled as she felt that she neared the ground, she knew that it would be difficult for her to survive. But, she never regretted it! Suddenly, the sky turned white, Phantom roared while facing the heavens. ¡°Leave or you will face my wrath!¡± Not even bothering with that person anymore, Phantom rushed with all his might to catch the young demon girl which fought to protect him. With a last attack, a strong wave force attacked Phantom¡¯s unprotected back, letting his blood splatter all around the air. The young demon girl saw the sky turning white and the glimpse of Phantom rushing towards her. Before she hit the ground, Phantom held her in his embrace. Phantom stared at the young demon girl with a frown, because the young demon girl was dieing, her bones was shattered, her lungs punctured and most of her organs collapsed. ¡°¡­ did I, do good?¡± With a weak voice, the young demon girl stared at Phantom with anticipation. She could feel her body weakening, but she did not care about that, she only cared about the safety of Phantom. ¡°You did very good¡­¡± Phantom replied weakly while holding the young demon girl. Phantom raised his finger and bit the tip of his finger, with a nip, he ripped the skin, letting blood slowly gush out. Phantom narrowed his eyes while glaring at his red blood, Phantom¡¯s blood slowly floated in the air above his finger, turning into a sphere. One drop, two drops, more and more drops of blood escaped his wound into the sphere. ¡°Drink this¡­¡± Phantom¡¯s voice grew weaker as time passed by. By now, the sphere was large as a palm, the blood sphere slowly descended towards the young demon girl¡¯s mouth. The young demon girl couldn¡¯t see anything any longer, the only thing she could see was the darkness, but she persisted¡­ The world in front of her turned white when she heard Phantom¡¯s voice, a warmness gushed into her body, treating her injuries, making her stronger. By the time she opened her eyes, her body was recovered and stronger! But, she had no time to think about that, because Phantom was kneeling on the ground, using all his might into supporting her¡­ Tears welled up in her eyes as she could sense a connection between herself and Phantom. ¡°¡­ master¡­¡± She sobbed as she called out to her master, the one who used his own lifeforce to save her¡­ ¡°You are a brave girl¡­¡± Phantom tried to speak in a gentle tone, but his eyesight slowly darkened by the second. ¡°Tell me. What is your name, little brave girl?¡± The young demon girl sobbed as she felt the pain Phantom was feeling. She could sense the injuries he was suffering, she could sense the backlash of saving her¡­ ¡° Violette¡­¡± Violette said her name in between her sobs, by the time she said her name, she sensed that Phantom had closed his eyes and went into deep sleep. The only thing that was left on the battleground, was the sound of rain hitting the ground and the weeping of a young girl¡­ Chapter 3 - Contracting a Guardian Two thousand years ago After the devastation battle between Phantom and the unknown forces, most of Remika was in ruins. With the effort of Phantom and the three Priestesses, very few innocents did lose their lives, but very many got injured. In one of the churches in Phanasia, the church was crowded with injured humans, elves and demons. Some had bandages wrapped around their limbs and others have lost a limb or two, but, none of them were dejected. That was because the Priestesses announced that Phantom himself received a grave injury during the battle to protect the innocent inhabitants¡­ Most of the priests, nuns and the patients were discussing in a low voice. ¡°We have to be glad that nothing worse happened to us.¡± ¡°Yes. All we received was some injuries, it is nothing to cry about.¡± ¡°Did you guys hear about what the Priestesses said?¡± ¡°About Lord Phantom¡¯s injury¡­?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Lord Phantom was injured in order to protect us.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be sadden, the Priestesses said themselves that we have to be strong. Not only strong, but stronger in order to stand by Phantom¡¯s side in the future!¡± Slowly but surely, everyone in the churches started agreeing on the same thing. The Great Temple of Phantom Deep inside the temple, sat three figures on their own thrones. ¡°It was our fault¡­!¡± The person sitting on the golden throne, was an elderly woman with white hair and wrinkles on her face. She had a frown on her face as she glanced at the two other Priestesses. ¡°Yes. It was out of our minds that anyone would run towards Phantom, it was a mishap on our ends¡­¡± The one sitting on the green throne was a middle-aged female elf, she had golden hair and blue eyes, she had a beautiful face, but her cold expression was horrifying to say the least. ¡°What happened is past us now, we need to think about the future.¡± The last one, was a twenty-year female with two horns spouting of her head. She had no expressions on her face, but her eyes were full of wisdom and saw further ahead than what she actually could see. ¡°As for example; receiving a disciple to become the next generation Priestess in our stead.¡± The human woman nodded before speaking with a small smile. ¡°You¡¯re right, Calista.¡± ¡°In the next five hundred years, I will try to find a suitable disciple. One whom is way stronger than what I could ever become¡­¡± The elven woman nodded. ¡°I will do as Beth, in the next five hundred years, I will also find a suitable disciple.¡± Calista nodded while snickering. ¡°That is good to hear, Beth and Quinn.¡± ¡°Hehe, sadly it seems like that I have already found my disciple.¡± Both Beth and Quinn frowned while staring at Calista. ¡°You don¡¯t mean that girl, do you¡­?¡± Quinn asked as she glared at Calista. ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Calista laughed in a low voice as a response before she stood up from her throne and walked towards the door. ¡°Humph¡­ she is crazy. Actually wanting a reckless girl to become the next Priestess.¡± Quinn frowned as she spoke out her mind. ¡°Why is it crazy?¡± Beth asked in return as she sent a glance towards Quinn. ¡°That ¡®reckless¡¯ girl is already very strong, and she seems to only want to protect Phantom. Besides, did you not feel that Phantom made a contract with her?¡± ¡°Highness Phantom only made a contract with her because she was injured¡­!¡± Quinn snorted before standing up from her throne and leaving the throne room. Beth sighed as she glanced at the departing Quinn. ¡°Lord Phantom will not do anything unless it is important. What we, the Priestesses need to do, is to support Phantom at any given time.¡± Her voice sounded out throughout the temple, letting both Quinn and Calista hear it. ¡°Lord Phantom¡­¡± Beth¡¯s gaze went into a daze as she thought of Phantom. Calista was already in the inner parts of the temple. She walked rather swiftly, each of her steps pushed her two meters ahead. After nearing the destination, Calista slowed down a little bit. She opened the door in front of her without stopping, going inside a white room. Inside of the white room, was a single bed. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. On that bed, was a young girl with two horns sprouting out of her head and her hair was red. Currently, the young demon girl, was having her eyes closed and breathing with an even pace. ¡°Don¡¯t bother with trying to trick me, I know that you are awake.¡± Calista snickered as she glanced at the young demon girl. The young demon girl¡¯s breath got disordered for a moment before she opened her eyes slowly, watching the one who was standing near her in fear. That was because, she knew who it was, the Demon Priestess; Calista! ¡°What¡¯s your name, girl?¡± Calista didn¡¯t mind the reaction the girl was showing. ¡°Vio¡­ Violette.¡± Violette stuttered, she swallowed as she glanced at Calista while fiddling with her fingers. Calista nodded before opening her mouth once again. ¡°Where are your parents?¡± Violette lowered her head, slowly shaking it. Calista narrowed her eyes slightly before asking another question. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be that young, have you tested your abilities to become a nun?¡± Violette didn¡¯t raise her head, she shook her head once again. ¡°Then, tell me why you tried to save Phantom¡­!¡± Calista¡¯s voice turned slightly cold as she gazed at Violette coldly. Violette trembled slightly, but she forced herself into answering Calista in a shaking voice. ¡°Bea¡­ because Phantom is the one who is always saving everyone, but no one is trying to save Phantom!¡± ¡°Mother always said that Phantom was a great man, that Phantom would never let anyone get injured.¡± ¡°Wuu¡­¡± Violette started sobbing as she continued speaking. ¡°I have read the storied about Phantom. Every time, Phantom is always alone every single time. Wuu¡­ I just want to stay by his side, to not make him lonely!¡± Violette started wiping away her tears away, but the next second, more tears emerged from the corners of her eyes. Calista¡¯s cold expression softened as she glanced at Violette, she could clearly sense that Violette was speaking right out from her heart. ¡°Do you want to become the next Priestess?¡± Calista grinned as she was watching Violette¡¯s expression. Violette froze, her sobs stopped but her tears continued flowing down her cheeks. She slowly raised her head towards Calista with wide open eyes, Violette was shocked to even hear that sentence. ¡°Me???¡± Violette asked in a dazed state. ¡°Yes, you.¡± Calista nodded. ¡°Let me warn you of something before you answer.¡± ¡°Becoming a Priestess is not simple. And, the moment you become a Priestess, your life will not be your own any longer, it will only be for Phantom¡¯s use, do you understand?¡± Violette was still dazed, she could barely hear Calista¡¯s explanation, but she understood what she meant. She wiped away her tears once again, her eyes were full of determination as she stared at Calista. ¡°I want to become a Priestess for Phantom¡­!¡± ¡°Hehe, how envious it is to be young.¡± Calista snickered in a low tone before she turned around, only leaving a few words to Violette. ¡°Rest for today, starting tomorrow, you will be my disciple. Hehe, you should also be mentally ready for the training¡­¡± Present time Violette thought about that memory which happened a long time ago, she couldn¡¯t help but stare at Phantom. This was something Violette has been waiting for, enduring all the harsh training since back then, only for Phantom. Violette grabbed her scabbard, slowly pulling out the katana. Phantom did not move, he only stared at Violette, not speaking a single word. Elizabeth and Sarah wanted to lash out at Violette, but they did nothing as Phantom did not say anything. After having pulled out the katana, Violette heavily dropped on her knees, leaving a mark on the marble. She held the katana in her left hand, slashing open a wound on her right palm. ¡°Master, I wish to complete the contract¡­¡± Phantom let out a bitter smile behind his mask, of course, no one could see this. I wonder when she found about that the contract was only half completed. Phantom didn¡¯t reply, he only responded by standing up from this throne, slowly walking towards the kneeling Violette. He could see the firm will in her eyes, that was why Phantom didn¡¯t speak, he responded only with actions. It seems like after all this time, I will be gaining a ¡®follower¡¯. I hope that you will not regret your decision, little girl¡­ A mighty aura spread out from Phantom¡¯s body, trembling the earth and crushing the air around himself. Phantom slowly raised his right hand towards his cloak, ripping it off and throwing it away. What was remaining was, a thin purple clothing which covered his body like a robe. Even Phantom¡¯s hair was raised in the air because of his own aura, his jet-black hair was dancing in the air. All of these shocked the three Priestesses. They had never seen Phantom in his real clothes, as the dark cloak was only there to cover him. After a moment, Phantom raised his hand towards his mask. Without hesitations, Phantom grabbed it and pulverized it¡­ If I am going to do this, why not go all out? The three Priestesses went in a daze when they saw Phantom¡¯s face. His white smooth skin, his elegant sharp eyebrows, his beautiful mouth, his perfect face structure¡­ Not enough with that, the drawing point was still his black eyes which shone brightly. ¡°I, Alexander von Meria.¡± Phantom spoke his true name as he stared at Violette, urging her to speak. ¡°I, Violette VuEhter.¡± Violette said her full name, as she stared at Phantom ¨C Alexander with eyes filled with expectations. ¡°Violette VuEhter, be my Guardian.¡± Alexander extended his hand towards Violette¡¯s wounded hand. ¡°I promise to be your Guardian until my last breath.¡± Violette answered with vigour, she extended her wounded hand and held Alexander. The moment their hands touched, a bright red light shone from Violette¡¯s side and a silver light shone from Alexander. The red light slowly entered the silver light, making a bond between the two. Chapter 4 - Always follow your dream After a short moment, the bright lights faded away. What was left, was the shocked expressions of Sarah and Elizabeth, the smiling Violette and the pale looking Alexander. With a bitter smile, Alexander coughed weakly while staggering backwards to his throne. ¡°Lord!¡± Sarah was the first one to see this abnormality, she rushed towards Alexander, holding his hand, trying to support him. Following Sarah, Elizabeth and Violette followed, they held Alexander. Letting him slowly sit down on his throne. ¡°Lord, what happened?¡± Sarah asked in a tone filled with worry and anxiety. She could smell the bloody scent coming from Alexander¡¯s mouth. Still putting up a bitter smile, Alexander answered as he glanced at Sarah with a soft gaze. ¡°Thank you for worrying about me, but I am fine.¡± ¡°On the other hand, what is your name? And, you should also be the 17th generation of the Human Priestess, right?¡± Sarah nodded hastily. ¡°Yes, Lord.¡± ¡°My name is Sarah Terian, I am the 17th generation, being the successor of Beth Larden.¡± Sarah explained the most important details, she would tell the rest when Alexander wanted it. ¡°I see.¡± Alexander nodded as he gazed at Sarah. It would be a lie if Alexander said that Sarah was not charming, but Alexander smiled softly and patted her head. ¡°You seem like a good child, thank you for being my Priestess.¡± Sarah could only nod while blushing as Alexander was patting her head. ¡°What about you?¡± Phantom asked as he sent Elizabeth a glance. ¡°Highness, I am the 19th generation of the Elven Priestesses, Elizabeth Gueina.¡± Elizabeth said respectfully as she stared at Phantom. Alexander smiled weakly before raising his hand to pat Elizabeth. ¡°I must thank you too, for helping me.¡± ¡°Master, tell me what happened.¡± Violette interrupted the whole thing as she stared at Alexander with worry. ¡°This body of mine is weak. It was not meant for me to contract Guardians, I do luckily have that bloodline¡­¡± Alexander spoke while he went into a daze, trying to remember a certain face. ¡°A certain bloodline?¡± Violette reacted when Alexander said that. I have never heard of bloodlines before, what is this about? Alexander glanced at Violette, Elizabeth and Sarah for a moment before sighing. ¡°I might as well tell you what is going on.¡± ¡°This is the last time that I will be awakening¡­¡± As Alexander was saying this, he slightly narrowed his eyes and knitted his fists with might. ¡°What?!¡± Sarah was the first one to react, she widely opened her eyes as her body went limp. Not shockingly enough, Elizabeth and Violette were as shocked, barely able to stand on their own legs. ¡°My body has stopped recovering.¡± Alexander said softly, not even worrying about his current situation that much. ¡°The injuries that I will be receiving, will not be healing. Any energy I lose, to fight, will not be recovered.¡± ¡°And, I think I know why I have awakened this time. There are no threats coming from this world itself, but threats from outside of this world¡­¡± Violette suddenly thought of the last battle two thousand years ago. ¡°You don¡¯t mean, at that time???¡± ¡°Yes, I do mean them.¡± Alexander nodded without much thoughts. ¡°If I burn my own soul, I can fight against them. The side effect is that I will die.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°Master, I will protect you¡­!¡± Violette trembled slightly as she stared at Alexander. ¡°This is why, this is why I have trained this much, only to protect you!¡± Sarah and Elizabeth had a resolute expression on their faces as they nodded. ¡°If a fight is something they want, I will fight them!¡± Sarah said coldly as she held her spectre. ¡°Humph!¡± Elizabeth snorted as she narrowed her eyes. ¡°I have read about that battle, if they dare coming, I will be the first one to attack!¡± She grabbed her bow tightly. Alexander watched the three Priestesses with a soft smile. ¡°Thank you.¡± Before the three Priestesses could be happy, Alexander continued speaking. ¡°But, this is not your fight.¡± Alexander narrowed his eyes slightly as he glanced at the roof, towards the sky. ¡°They are after me. After they have dealt with me, they will not return or bother anyone here.¡± ¡°What I want you three to do, is to protect this continent after I am gone.¡± Alexander stood up from this throne, letting out a weak aura, but it suppressed the air around him. ¡°If only he was here¡­¡± Alexander muttered before shaking his head. ¡°Who are you talking about?¡± Violette raised her eyebrows as she barely heard Alexander speak. Alexander let out a genuine smile for the first time as he spoke with the gentlest tone ever. ¡°My father.¡± ¡°If only my father was here, he would have dealt with everything within a moments time.¡± ¡°Is your father that strong!?¡± Sarah asked with a high tone. Alexander nodded first before shaking his head. ¡°Even I do not know how strong my father is.¡± ¡°But, when I was young, I heard one of my mothers telling me that if father wanted to, he could destroy a whole solar system with a twist of his palm.¡± While saying this, Alexander was thinking of the face of his father and his mothers. He always felt loved by his father, and Alexander himself, he liked his father the most. ¡°How can anyone be that strong?!¡± Elizabeth shuddered at the thoughts of someone being that strong. ¡°Master, is your father dead?¡± Violette asked while worrying for a moment. If someone was able to kill someone that strong, how strong would that person be? ¡°Hahahahahahahaha!¡± Alexander laughed for the first time in a very long time. ¡°As far as I know, no one would be able to kill my father.¡± ¡°At one time, the sun near our world was dying. Father stared at the sun for a moment before shaking his head, then vanishing from our sights. Not long after, he came back, saying that he went to the centre of the sun, rewinding the time of the sun¡­!¡± Cold sweat could be seen from the backs of the three Priestesses. ¡°Then¡­ why don¡¯t you ask your father to help us?¡± Sarah asked while staring at Alexander. If Lord¡¯s father is that strong, he could deal with any of our problems without much trouble. And, perhaps even heal Lord? When Elizabeth and Violette heard Sarah say that, they couldn¡¯t help but agree with Sarah. Alexander let out a bitter smile. ¡°A hundred thousand years ago, I escaped from our home.¡± ¡°I bet that my father has been worrying deeply about me, but I left for a reason, to have my own adventures of life.¡± ¡°But, I can¡¯t help but be sure that my siblings are still looking for me.¡± When Alexander thoughts about his siblings, he couldn¡¯t help but tremble. ¡°If they found me, they would beat me close to death before taking me back to my father¡­!¡± ¡°Why?!¡± Violette asked as she watched Alexander tremble. ¡°That is because, all of his children, love him the most.¡± Alexander said with a smile. ¡°Father is a great man, he is someone that all of us look up to, wanting to be someone like him, even wanting to receive his love more than others.¡± ¡°My father must have been heart-broken after I left, my siblings would hunt after me throughout the whole universe. Only to place me in front of our father, to see his smile.¡± ¡°I am sorry, but I can¡¯t ask my father to help us.¡± Alexander shook his head, but he was still smiling. ¡°I want to be a hero like my father¡­¡± ¡°Therefore, I will not back down from the danger in front of us. Even if it leads to my death, I will not regret any of my choices, because my father said once; ¡®Always follow your dream, no matter how far it seems, do not stop reaching out for it.¡¯.¡± ¡°This is what I am going to do now, I will not stop reaching out towards my dream, of being a hero.¡± Violette stood near Alexander, she held her katana with force before speaking up. ¡°Master.¡± ¡°I have decided to help you no matter what. My dream is to be of help for you, I will listen to your father¡¯s advice, I will follow my dream.¡± Alexander stared at Violette for a few seconds before sighing, barely accepting it. ¡°I can¡¯t deny anyone their wish to follow their dreams¡­¡± ¡°Hehe, seems like this will be a fun ride, right Highness?¡± Elizabeth laughed for a moment before she stood at Alexander¡¯s side. Elizabeth wasn¡¯t afraid of dying, as her role as a Priestess was to help Alexander in any way they could, and this was something she wished for more than anything. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think that those ¡®aliens¡¯ are our top priority right now, there are lots of enemies at our front doors.¡± Sarah said indifferently as she glanced at Violette and Elizabeth before sending a soft gaze towards Alexander. ¡°Lord, I will help you defeat your enemies. I might not be as strong as the others, but, I will help with everything I got.¡± Chapter 5 - Phantom has returned...! Phantom ¨C or known as Alexander by few, got tired after the meeting with his three Priestesses. Violette led Alexander to his own personal room, which was over 100 square meters. The room was made out of gold and each of the furniture was made out of Elder Tree, this value of this room alone was more than what the Four Kingdom could earn in over five thousand years. After Alexander closed his eyes, Violette left the room quietly. Violette¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly as she hurriedly walked towards the Throne room. It didn¡¯t take Violette ten seconds, she sat on her red throne as she glanced at Sarah and Elizabeth. ¡°Is he asleep?¡± Sarah asked in a soft voice, but her eyes were also slightly narrowed. ¡°Yes.¡± Violette nodded without thinking twice. ¡°I checked his breathing, Master went into deep sleep. It seems like Master was way more tired than what we thought.¡± ¡°It seems so.¡± Elizabeth nodded, her eyebrows were furrowed, but she managed to keep herself calm. ¡°As I mentioned earlier, the ¡®aliens¡¯ are not our only problems.¡± Sarah was the first one to speak about the previous discussions. ¡°The other Kingdoms are not weak at all, we need to decide. Either usurp everything by force, or keep them in check.¡± ¡°Humph¡­!¡± Violette snorted as she glanced coldly at Sarah. ¡°You want to keep the ones who¡¯s looking for Master¡¯s Kingdom in check?¡± ¡°No deal, I will massacre them all!¡± ¡°For once, I have to side with Violette.¡± Elizabeth opened her mouth after Violette finished speaking. ¡°We can¡¯t have ourselves be distracted by them if we get attacked by those ¡®aliens¡¯.¡± The more Sarah heard, the more she smiled. ¡°Good.¡± ¡°This is good¡­!¡± ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Sarah started laughing in a very low voice. ¡°I will make all of them regret ever setting their eyes on Lord¡¯s Kingdom!¡± ¡°Cough.¡± Violette faked a cough as she glanced at Sarah laughing like a maniac. ¡°Many should have already noticed Master¡¯s return, what should we do about that?¡± ¡°As far as we personally know, only those ¡®rulers¡¯ in the other Kingdoms should know about it.¡± Elizabeth nodded slowly as she thought of the problem. ¡°Then, why not let everyone know it?¡± ¡°Let everyone know that ¡®Phantom¡¯ has returned. Those on our side will see this as a blessing while our enemies will fear us.¡± Violette nodded in approval at Elizabeth thought, but she didn¡¯t voice out her thoughts yet. ¡°Elizabeth, your idea is good.¡± Sarah let out a small smile as she said that. But, her smile turned into a grin for a moment after that. ¡°They do fear ¡®Phantom¡¯ for his raw strength, but they are not afraid of him¡­¡± ¡°We know that Lord is strong, but it is not his time to step on the battlefield yet. His battlefield is against those ¡®aliens¡¯, it will be our battle to fight the three other Kingdoms.¡± ¡°You are right, Sarah.¡± Violette finally voiced out her thoughts before continuing. ¡°None of the other Kingdoms are pushovers, but we can¡¯t let Master step into the battle. We might not be strong as that Demon, or as many as those Elves, nor do we have the equipment like the Humans, but¡­ we do have something stronger, a lot stronger¡­¡± While speaking, she sent glances towards her own sword, Elizabeth¡¯s bow and Sarah¡¯s spectre. ¡°Each of our Divine Equipment have strength beyond what we can imagine.¡± Elizabeth nodded as she continued from Violette. ¡°After each generation of the Priestesses, the previous one has always imparted their knowledge about the Divine Equipment and their way to grow stronger.¡± ¡°That is our advantage¡­¡± Sarah spoke as she lowered her head. ¡°With these advantages, we can fight against anyone who had thoughts about coming for Lord on this world.¡± After a moment of silence, Sarah continued. ¡°But, we can¡¯t make the first move, or the three Kingdoms will make an alliance to destroy us.¡± ¡°Hump!¡± Violette narrowed her eyes. ¡°I will wait patiently for now¡­¡± A cold aura spread out from Violette¡¯s body. ¡°But, when the times arrives, I will kill them all¡­!You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. The Throne room staid silent before the three Priestesses walked in their own direction. In another room, Alexander laid with his eyes closed. Alexander slowly opened his eyes, smiling weakly. Is this the feeling I have been searching for? The feeling when having someone looking out for you¡­ Father was right. Strength might give you the power to rule others, but having loyal people to help you selflessly is clearly more emotional. Hah, I think I can understand why Father never ruled with strength, but with his love to everyone¡­ The more Alexander was thinking, the more tears started running down his cheeks. Father, are you still looking for me? Would you still look at me with those gentle eyes even after I left which led to breaking your heart¡­? Alexander shook his head, finding himself stupid. What a stupid question I asked, I know that you love all of your children and wives with all of your heart. If¡­ If I ever die, I will release my soul. Father, I know that you will find it, I only hope that you won¡¯t cry at that time, Father¡­ Alexander¡¯s thought went blank after this and he closed his eyes, going into sleep. The next morning. The sun rose from the horizon, bringing a light filled with warmness over everywhere it shone. Birds was chirping over the houses and in the trees, the wind was blowing a melody in the streets of Phanasia. Usually the streets should have been empty in the morning, but today everyone was walking towards the city centre. ¡°The three Priestesses has something important to announce, please go to the city centre!¡± Nuns and priests was walking around Phanasia, shouting with a gentle tone. The priests and the nuns couldn¡¯t help from smiling. They did not know what the three Priestesses would announce, but they knew that the only times they did so, was times of great joy. Even the inhabitants had smiles on their faces, none of them were angry about being awaken by the shouts of the nuns and the priests. Many had dark rings around their eyes, but with a smile on their face, they walked towards the city centre. Even the rich merchants, bishops, prefects and the generals walked towards the city centre with their families without thinking that it was something unusual. All of them respected the three Priestesses and believed in Phantom, therefore this was something usual for them. It took over four hours before everyone had arrived at the city centre. The city centre was very large, enough for over ten million to stand there casually. At this time, many millions of civilians and military was sitting on chairs, none of them were standing. Thousands of priests and nuns were giving food and drink to those which had arrived for their breakfast, chicken soup with bread and water. No one complained, as this was something luxurious for most people and even the richer ones enjoyed the food. ¡°What do you think is the announcement? It has been over a hundred years since the last time the three Priestesses announced something important.¡± ¡°I honestly do not know, but it seems like that they want most people to hear this announcement. Seeing that almost the whole capital is in the city centre.¡± ¡°You are right, this can¡¯t be something like the last times, I can¡¯t help but wait to hear the announcement.¡± Even those who have waited already for over four hours didn¡¯t feel that their time was wasted. This was their faith, they trusted that their church would not waste their time without a good enough reason. ¡°Quiet down!¡± Suddenly, a cold voice sounded out throughout the whole capital. Everyone raised their heads towards the sky, seeing three figures standing on the air. Sarah, Violette and Elizabeth stood two hundred meters above the ground, overlooking the millions sitting in the city centre. Violette felt slightly annoyed that everyone was talking, she stepped half a step forward, speaking in a voice that anyone in the city could hear. ¡°I, Violette VuEhter, the 19th generation of the Demon Priestess, with Sarah Terian the 17th generation of the Human Priestess and Elizabeth Gueina the 19th generation of the Elven Priestess, will make an announcement this day!¡± Violette¡¯s voice entered everyone¡¯s ears, her voice was indifferent, but everyone could feel the suppressed joy in it. Not a second later, Sarah also stepped half a step forward while speaking. ¡°We have waited for a very long time, but we do not have to wait any longer.¡± Elizabeth also took a half a step forward, lining up with Sarah and Violette. Elizabeth glanced at Sarah and Violette before nodding. Sarah and Violette also nodded in return. This time, the three Priestesses spoke in an overlapping voice. ¡°Because, ¡®he¡¯ has returned once more to us¡­!¡± Before anyone could think who ¡®he¡¯ was, a dark shadow could be seen standing in front of the three Priestesses. Not long after, they could clearly see that shadow. It was someone in a dark cloak with a mask on his face! ¡°Phantom¡­!¡± Not knowing who, but someone screamed with widely opened eyes. Everyone saw Phantom with their own eyes, Phantom wasn¡¯t releasing any aura, but everyone felt pressured by the sight of him standing on the air. Not even knowing when, everyone was kneeling towards Phantom, barely able to raise their heads to watch Phantom. Violette, Sarah and Elizabeth smiled gently as they saw everyone kneeling towards Phantom. ¡°¡­ I am back¡­!¡± A beautiful voice entered everyone¡¯s ears. It took everyone a second before they figured it was Phantom¡¯s voice, their minds went blank with just hearing his voice which was as gentle as the morning breeze, powerful as the sun and embracing as the moon.