《The Absolute: Humanity's Second Chance》


 Chapter 1 A New Beginning

    ?"..."


    A young man sat within his room, and stared expressionlessly at the wall. He seemed dead. Internally at that. And his gaze implying that he was lost deep into his thoughts.


    Like being stranded within a misty sea, not knowing which direction is which.


    But maybe it made sense. For his circumstances were not light nor casual. Especially so, with everything that was toe.


    His vision returned to his room.


    It had nothing to begin with, so him staring at the wall, was not that strange. The room only had a small futon toy on, and nothing else.


    It was just empty. Like a broken man''s heart. Him. And like the mind of a man confused. Him as well.


    "...Haah~" He sighed to himself. It was sudden, gloomy and all out of the blue. Enough to shatter the peace, of the night.


    His face finally illustrated a trace of emotion. It being a mixture of shock, and slight happiness. Happiness. If you will.


    Yet alsoced with a bit of bitterness within. He remembered his name. He was Damien, Damien Gray. One of thest standing humans of his time.


    ~~~


    Damien is a young man from the future.


    He was one of the third generational humans, of the now new, and still being explored, world of mysteries and wonders.


    From as far as he remembered, fifty years ago from now, humanity suddenly found themselves stranded within a world they knewpletely nothing off.


    Like finding oneself within a dream you cannot rte to. The environment. The feeling. The people. Everything being, just surreal. Like a twisted lucid dream, perhaps.


    And, It was a terrible experience, believe that.


    For from washing the dishes, to finding yourself stranded in the wild out of nowhere.


    Or from preparing for your death, after reaching a certain age in life, only to appear within apletely new world.


    Such things urred worldwide.


    A poption of almost ten billion humans, regardless of age, or status, appeared within this foreign environment, stranded within the wild.


    A world that they came to term, Gaea.


    It was a name chosen yearster, when everyone realized the simrities this world bore to the Earth they knew.


    Yet had a tinge of mythical, and supernatural attributes at its base.


    Thus why it was termed after the Titanic Greek Goddess of Earth, and the Mother of All Life, Gaea. Hence, where the name was derived.


    Damien thought, and continued to dig deeper into the history of humanity, into this new world. And not about myths he read about, within the records of the settlement.


    ''Okay, back to track.'' He focused.


    The humans of that time, gathered up together to create something simr to a settlement, or a colony of sorts. A congregation of humans.


    But with the fear spread everywhere, and the reluctance to ept their new home. It took time for everyone to finally calm down and settle.


    After all, the wealthy were no longer wealthy here. What did they have now, that warranted them any right tomand others?


    Those in power, had none here. What gave them power over everyone, when the rules they set back at their home, meant jack sh*t here.


    The soldiers, the police or local gang members had none of their weaponry here. What threat were they now?


    Everyone was the same. At the same starting point. Thus, it was a chaotic atmosphere for everyone.


    Of course, a few who kept knifes to themselves had them on their being. They were considered lucky. Or truthfully, unlucky.


    Them, and those with other casual weaponry for self defense. They were armed, yes. But it still helped no one at all. Including them.


    And instead, those light weaponry were the very reason some even died during that stage of denial and grief.


    Many old, and many young lost their lives. They were attacked by those that deemed themselves worthy of obtaining weapons.


    And as if that was all, and as if to mock them, a tide of strange beasts had attacked them. Especially when they were at their most vulnerable stage.


    They were in the middle of nowhere. In the wild. Late at night. What else did they expect, really? Santa? Unfortunately, they never saw him. Nor any gifts of sorts.


    Instead, the group of a thousand or so wolf-like beasts were their beginner gift pack.


    And took the lives of at most a simr number of thousands of people that very night.


    Thousands, not just one thousand, but thousands of lives. It could be said to almost exceed ten thousand deaths in fact.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    And they, the prideful hunters at the top of the chain back on Earth, could only retreat in self defense.


    There were no automatic assault riffles.


    There were no atomic bombs.


    Or any other weapon they were proud off.


    Worst of all, years after stabilizing their foothold, humans got to learn that a thousand beasts or monsters, barely count as a small pack in this world.


    It was fear inducing.


    Hope extinguishing.


    Purely, and utterly dreadful.


    Thankfully, at that moment, when they were still unaware of that, things were slightly better. And though a lot had died, and a lot more lost their loved ones.


    It was not the end.


    Those that survived, were more than happy they went through a cmity like that. Humanity was just like that.


    At the end of the day, it was you over everyone else, right? You can mourn for those that died, but deep down, aren''t you happy you survived?


    Fortunately, there were still billions of humans at the end of the day, so they fought back... someway, somehow.


    The first step being realization.


    They realized that everything was not a dream, or some sort of twisted joke. They ended up having no choice but to rely on one another.


    And that was the second step, trust and reliance on one another. But that was just the beginning.


    Days went by, and more attacks just like that one arrived. The world was not human friendly. And that was obvious enough.


    And of course, with the humans epting their situation anding to terms with their new environment, they also fought back.


    They reverted back to the stone age, and made weapons out of nature. Not only weapons, but even clothes and houses.


    Let alone weapons and natural traps.


    They were quite the intelligent race, especially so, if they could create nanotechnology and matter-reliant weapons, capable of destroying their entire Sr System.


    Using their environment to their advantage, and outsmarting some wold animals was an easy feat. And of course, adapting was hard.


    More so, when they were previously at an Era of robots and procrastination.


    So yes, it took quite the while to get used to everything. Some not even changing clothes after weeks due to denial, but they ultimately sumbed.


    Most women made sure the men were well fed. The well fed men made sure the settlement was built, and the battles were fought.


    While some women managed the building of the settlement, or management of the entire structure of their race. Both genders acquired neutrality.


    Finding worth in the opposite gender, and then respecting said worth. They both individually knew what to do. And women were not stopped from joining the army or the builders.


    Men were also epted as managers and directors. They focused on what you, yourself could do. Instead of what you are or were expected to do.


    Thus from days, it went to weeks, and from weeks to months, from months to a year.


    And from a year, to years. From years to decades. Time became a stable reminder of how far the humans have progressed.


    Everything was stable, and the humans who only lost a billion or so lives during that period, were now capable of fending for themselves against the sorounding beasts.


    And the most that died were the old and sick ones, who could not survive the new, and extremely severe environment they were thrown in.


    But thanks to the years of hardwork, humanity reattained their gift of strength, agility, flexibility and the other traits theirte ape ancestors had, back in their home world.


    They could better survive, and even fend for themselves. Even against terrifying numbers of thousands of wolf-like beasts, with simrly numbered warriors on their side.


    The status between both sidessted for thirty years, where the humans lost and gained more.


    And after all that war-filled time, they now had two generations, the second being the strongest and most adept to the world.


    And because of them, they even ended up ughtering the entire pack of wolf-like beasts, and avenged their lost souls. It was truly a year worth celebrating.


    It had to be mentioned, the pack was over ten timesrger than it initially was. Thirty years were a lot of years after all. So, it was genuinely a day worth celebrating.


    And not only because of that, but because on this very same day, a shooting star fell into the world. It was far from the human stronghold, but was still within the same region.


    It was marked the Day of Eve. Signifying the new beginning of the entire human race.

 Chapter 2 Second Chance

    ?But strangely though, the star fall did not cause that much damage to the world, which surprised the still intellectual humans who knew how powerful a star was.


    But that was not important.


    What was important was that, at that day, the very powerful and unknown entity that drove the world to its most prime state had appeared.


    The Primordial Source.


    "The Primordial Source..."


    Damien whispered to himself that name the moment it appeared within his mind.


    Indeed. It considered itself The Primordial Source, or TPS in short. Something the humans would consider the "system administrator" or the "game master" in their previous lives.


    And what the people of this world woulde to call it as "The Origin Primordial", or "The Genesis Point", "The Changer of Fates", "The Unfathomable".


    Of course, it was not after twenty years till The Primordial Source made its debut, iming that it was conserving energy until it could initiate its first phase.


    It was really powerful though, as it gave out the impression that it could do practically everything. It was like the Source of Creation, and was Omnipotent.


    It brought out a game-like life for all residents of Gaea, from humans to the supernatural creatures, to the mythical creatures and also to ants and bugs.


    Hence through killing other races that do not belong to your race, one could collect the Essence of Life, or something the humans called EXP. Experience Points in full.


    Every existence had this EXP thing. And the higher the race grade, and the stronger the individual, the more EXP could one collect from killing them.


    One could say that ten years were the same as a single point of EXP. Thus killing a human would grant you ten EXP, and of course, the stronger you are, the less EXP you recieve if your target is weaker.


    And the weaker you are, the more EXP you will obtain vice-versa. There were a lot of factors to this, though.


    The three most important being age category, levels and existential grade. But that was a topic for yet another day.


    But essentially, the world was cruel.


    There were no boundaries or morals here, nor were there such rules saying that, if you''re a god, you cannoty your hands on a mortal. That was bull crap.


    This was a world of do or die. The world where the strong constantly devoured the weak. Ruthlessness seeped deep into everyone''s veins from birth.


    It was either you or the world.


    And everybody chose the themselves.


    Damien being one of those ''everybody''.


    As a third generational member of the human species, he was more in tune with being wild and physically powerful. And the world.


    He was even more powerful thanks to his genes, or so he always thought. His father was aplete brute maniac, who despite his small body frame, was actually powerful.


    While his mother was someone innately fast. She chose the path of assassination, something mentioned as mythical stories by the first generational humans.


    And she made it an upation by herself. A professional one respected by all humans.


    Together, they had him. A fucking freak who was both strong and fast, while having his own unique trait of being quite durable, physically and mentally wise.


    Thus why he managed to do quite well in his previous lifetime, or future lifetime. Where he was proud to say that he surpassed the very constraints of mortalhood and godhood.


    Unfortunately, in the bigger picture, it was not enough. For he achieved that by losing a lot of allies and loved ones, including over ny-nine percent of the entire human race.


    Thus, when he obtained a single wish from The Primordial Source, from helping it achieve evolution through means he will not mention at the moment...


    He wished to be sent back in time.


    Stupid really, I know. He knew it too.


    But it was the only decision he ever made in that life, that actually showed a bit of humanity. More so, when he stopped being human when his parents died.


    And the girl he grew up raising, turned her back against him. The reason was unknown, she just stopped all forms ofmunication with him.


    He desired to know why. He desired to save his parents. He desired to set a different path for humanity. Thus, he made that stupid wish.


    But who knew that The Primordial Source misunderstood him, and sent him back with his memories intact.


    Yes. He did not think of that, and just wanted a second chance in life.


    He viewed it as reincarnation, and thus just believed that his memories would bepletely cleansed off.


    Little did he know that they would not be cleansed. And he also realized that he had long looked down on the power of The Primordial Source.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Now he was sure this thing was the so called GOD of this world. Like the GOD the first generational humans mentioned so often, and still prayed to.


    "..."


    But all of that was not important at the moment. Yes, even that was not important right now. Nor was the history of the new humans who adapted to this world.


    No no no.


    The important part is that, today, or rather exactly at midnight, The Primordial Source will awaken, and begin the process of changing the whole world.


    And Damien, was staring at the wall, waiting. Waiting for a few more minutes before that time arrived. His mother and father were asleep, and he was the only one up.


    But he had to be.


    Because... only the first seventy two beings world wide, would be lucky to obtain the Exclusive sses.


    sses that could evolve, and wouldter have the chance to be higher ranked sses or even Hidden sses not meant for any Jim and Jack out there.


    And he wanted to be one of them. Alongside his parents. As for his allies, they had to find a way, because his focus was only his family at the moment.


    ...And the girl next door.


    Regardless of what, she was as important as family. Even if she was going to ignore him in the future. ''Not like I''ll let that happen. Not a chance in Hell.''


    Damien thought, rebuking his own internal thoughts about the future.


    He then immediately stood up. Time was of the essence. Right now, he could not sit down and n his every step properly.


    That was forter.


    Instead, he should react fast with what was toe. The initial phase of The Primordial Source, and it''s desperate struggle when nobody reacted to its inticement.


    His actions should be in proportion, and alignment to that.


    This was a world where one trusted no one. One could not even putplete trust in their own brother or father, let alone their fellow racial members.


    Or even other foreign races. No. More so the foreign races. Even before the appearance of The Primordial Source, races were not that friendly towards one another.


    Except a select few, of course.


    So who would believe an entity that could freely invade the minds of living beings, including gods and devils without a problem?


    Such an action was disastrous.


    So of course, nobody would.


    Thus, when The Primordial Source first made its debut, there were hours of wait before even a single person, one out of trillions, decided to even agree to participate in it''s plot.


    Even the most desperate, and idiotic fools out there did not hurriedly agree.


    Let alone the mindless monsters that could not understand the interface of The Primordial Source when it first appeared.


    After all, The Primordial Source was like a child given Omnipotent powers. Hence its actions were not thoroughly thought through at this time.


    But as time went by, it grew up and matured. Yes, in just a couple of hours at that.


    Therefore, after hours of wait, the The Primordial Source actually decided to bribe everyone. More like coerce, if you will.


    Giving out things such as their deepest desire to them and all other words. And as you thought, one out of trillions of beings would at least fall to the temptations right?


    Yes, they appeared.


    And they were the first generational humans who were still not much used to theck of trust of this world. As well as because the interface was a lot like their technology back at home.


    It brought powerful feelings of sadness and mncholy when they saw it. And being a race of good fantasizers, they believed that The Primordial Source was their golden finger.


    Hence, one ultimately agreed to The Primordial Source''s temptations.


    And because of that, that person ended up being one of the few to reach the peak. And also an old man who was the reason why there were at least humans in the near future.


    "..."


    Damien thought of all of this instantly as he opened the door to his room and left. Everything within the room was mncholic, to him.


    Quite ironic, considering that it had almost nothing. But he still ignored everything and left.

 Chapter 3 The Primordial Source

    ?And outside, was a well decorated, clean and luxurious house that differedpletely to his empty, god forsaken room.


    It was not to the point of being like the rich houses in the modern day, but for people in the nigh-olden Era, it was quite decent and neat.


    But he ignored it as well and the emotions he was experiencing. And just walked to his parent''s room, not far from his.


    The Primordial Source was only minutes away from initiating its first phase, so he had to make a move. One as quickly as he possibly could.


    First, he had to tell his parents that they should agree to the interface that will appear in their minds. There was a good reason as to why.


    For starters, because once a person epts The Primordial Source, they will undergo a trial to go through, where they will not leave until they are either level five, or dead or when you seed.


    Or, after 24 hours, when the trial ends. Luckily, the trial took in the overall talent and average potential of the target.


    So, if you were not a coward, you''d survive pretty much. That was guaranteed. Either you fight or runs, as long as you don''t just stand.


    Survival was guaranteed.


    The good part to this was that, the earlier one got in, the earlier they could get out, and the earlier they could choose a suitable exclusive ss of their own.


    sses that could evolve ording to their user''s circumstances and actions. There were only seventy two of such sses, so time was of the essence.


    Was that mentioned? Pardon. It was just that important. Damien could not stop thinking about it, at every moment.


    And if they actually went in now, they had a few hours before everyone else could enter. That was a godsend opportunity for them.


    "Especially for me. I know which sses to choose for myself, mother, father and Juliette." Damien thought as he finally arrived at the door of his parent''s room.


    Without knocking, he opened the door and lit up the candles. There was no electricity here, nor was there any magic at the moment. So candles it was.


    The candles here were also not wax candles. They were something simr to amp, but a bit technical. They could be refilled with a liquid, and left to dry up.


    Then lit up, and it burns for hours, or days depending on the quality.


    But there were candles here, unique candles of this world the humans came up with. That resembled normal candles from earth.


    They were expensive. And this family, did not have a tendency of overspending their money...


    That out of the way, "Rise and shine lovebirds. There''s trouble." The sixteen year old Damien, who was already 1,8 meters tall, and had a deeper voice for someone his age, spoke up.


    Just his tall shadow and his voice alone woke up his parents, who were enjoying their sleep together, cuddling away the cold.


    He looked at them with disgust, one that he did not even try to hide. His eyes even carrying a hint of disdain within.


    "The hell boy? What did we do to you to deserve such treatment as your makers?!" His father woke up first, but still stayed on bed. He was annoyed as usual.


    His name was David Gray, the sixteen times World Champion. Of course, the world here, only included humans and not the entire world.


    His mother was also awake, and was yawning besides David. She was Esther Gray, the founder of the Assassin''s Creed and the House of Gray, and the daughter of the well respected Creed Family.


    Damien ignored their identities, and took ahold of the nket they covered themselves with, pulling it using a bit of force.


    Woosh~


    The two were exposed.


    Luckily, they were wearing clothes. But Damien wouldn''t care either way. He took on a stern expression and faced his father,


    "Old man, listen, a couple of minutes from now-¨C" But just as he began speaking, a chime rang within the ears of every living beings within the whole.


    TING!!!


    Even waking up those who are deep sleepers instantly. Or those busy with theirte night activities at the moment.


    Following that, were bundles of interfaces that, even if one ignored the chime, they could never ignore these interfaces. They clouded everyone''s mind, like their deepest desires tormenting them.


    [ Greetings all living beings. I am The Primordial Source of All Things. And Ie in peace. I bring with me an Era of Genesis and Revolution ]


    [ Those willing to change their lives for the better. Please select the "Yes" option. Those not sure, please stay calm and be sureter ]


    [ Would you desire to initiate "Trials of Ascension"? ]


    [ " YES " ]<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    [ " NO " ]


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    And that was that. Not only was Damien caught off guard about the fast response of The Primordial Source, even his parents were silenced.


    No, the whole world was silenced to be specific. None were ready for this information.


    But Damien immediately shook his head to clear his thoughts. Though it arrived a bit early, he did not think much of it.


    He did not check the time, so maybe he was the e, and not that The Primordial Source was early. Plus, he wasted time on his thoughts.


    He immediately faced his father, who sternly stared back at his son. He was never going to agree to this scam, but he knew his daredevil of a son would.


    And wa, his fears were proven correct.


    "Look, old man. I want you two to ept this offer. I''ll exin myself once I am back, mother, not now." Damien exined.


    Meanwhile he stopped his mother''s actions, who was about to listen to her son without hesitation, and ept the offer by herself.


    He then added more, "You should ept it together, to go through the trials together... like the couple you are. And make sure you both make it out alive."


    He said and hurriedly went towards the door, and before his father could say anything, he added loudly, "Just do it!! I promise I''ll exin everything to you old man, I swear."


    And like that, he left the room and rushed towards the door. His speed was really fast, being a couple of times faster than the fastest athletes of the modern era.


    He was unique. For he was Damien.


    As for his parents, his father could not help but stare at the door in wonder and, resignation. He was exhausted. Spiritually. And Mentally.


    "What can we say, honey?" His mother, Esther, chuckled by the side, and added, "He''s your son after all. He''s... Damien."


    "No. That''s the problem." His father, David, refuted. "It''s because he''s Damien, that I''m worried in the first ce."


    "..."


    His mother had no response to those words, and instead gazed at the nkets as if there was something interesting to watch.


    David only gave her brief nce, "..." and sighed once again. How am I dealing with these two beings, and still normal? He asked himself. Resigning to his Fate for the second time.


    Throughout their conversation, Damien never stopped. Nor did he rx. There was still one more person he had deal with.


    Thus he ran, and reached the door very quickly. He did not hesitate to unlock it and leave. And, without further ado, once he was outside, he went towards the fence.


    Their yard was square shaped. Like all other yards around this district.


    At the center was their house, the front was grass and a small garden, and the backyard was a training hall for him and his parents.


    Most houses were built like this, with a few modifications here and there.


    Damien did not take that to mind though, and just rushed towards the fence on the west, that was two meters tall. It was likewise made up of wood and wire.


    He flew over the fence with how fast he was running, and thanks to his powerful physique, it was quite the easy feat for him to do.


    He therefore rushed towards the door without any second thoughts, and heavily knocked on it. He could smash it open, but that would scare her. Hence he did not.


    "Juliette!! Juliette!! It''s me, open up." He called out loudly, knowing fully well she was in a state of panic due to the appearance of the interface, and his rough knocking.


    But did that matter now?


    Secondster, he heard hurried sounds within the house, and slightly rxed. He was suddenly expectant of seeing her again, after years of loneliness.


    Thus with a smile, he waited. And soon, the door was unlocked from inside, and once open, before he could even do anything nor say a single word...


    "Big brother Damien!!!" The young girl threw herself into his arms and tightly held onto him for her dear life.


    The moment he saw her face, it was warped for an instant, as his brain tried to find any simrities it had with the one he missed for decades on end.

 Chapter 4 Juliette Silver

    ?This did not happen when he saw his parent''s face, or when he arrived back at his room. His mind automatically normalized everything, either than her.


    ''Was she so into my mind that, I was actually looking forward to seeing her the most?'' Damien thought to himself in slight shock. He still kept looking at her for a few more seconds.


    Yet even then, the Juliette now, and the Juliette of the future, they were not aligned. The current her, waspletely different from the future her. In multiple degrees than one.


    But it mattered not. She was his Juliette. And he was her Damien. The two childhood sweethearts. Not the two killers of the future.


    "It''s alright. It''s alright. Let''s go in, wear something proper and I''ll exin everything to you." Damien, with Juliette in his arms, walked into her house and closed the door behind him.


    It took time for Juliette to calm down, but she ultimately did. And afterwards, she went to her room to change. Afterall, she only wore a loose night gown right now.


    Damien sighed, as from now on, things would be hectic for both of them. During the trial, there will either go against a single opponent at a time, or multiple weaker opponents.


    The experience would be to the point where it''s difficult, yet not impossible. But Damien was quite strong. In fact, he had the titles of both being the strongest and fastest human of this generation.


    A peak third generational human.


    So he was not worried. He knew he could easily go through this no problem, even when involving the now-still-fragile young woman, Juliette Silver.


    And speaking about her, Juliette was...


    The only person who actually understood him better than anyone. She knew his thoughts even before he said them.


    She knew what he liked, and what he disliked. His deepest secrets and his weaknesses. Yet, out of everyone out there, she was also the one... to abondan him.


    Or he abandoned her. He did not know. But he would find out soon enough. Even if he does not, he will make sure that in this lifetime... she belongs to him.


    Or he, to her. It did not matter, as long as they were together in this lifetime.


    "..."


    Damien thought silently, watching Juliette do her own things. Of course she was changing, and he did not shy away from looking.


    Nor did she feel repulsed either.


    Little did she know, that the Damien standing before her, was apletely different man to the one she grew up with and came to cherish.


    He was, partially different. But different nheless.


    And niether was she aware that what was toe... would be the biggest step she would have to take in this lifetime.


    *** Juliette Silver ***


    Juliette Silver.


    That was a name given to me by my parents fifteen years ago, during my birth day. One that I came to like as I grew up into a fine, young woman.


    It meant many things. Juliette meaning "Youthful", for one. And Silver... meaning more than a lot. But to me, this name defines me as simply...


    Youthful and Vibrant~


    That''s why I love it so much, and I love it more when my loved ones call me by it everyday. Especially when my parents used to says it.


    Unfortunately, times of peace and joy neverst. For those loved ones, left me at quite the young age of three years old.


    I lost both my parents to the constant battles with the monsters and wild beasts we still have even as ofte. The rivalry between both races.


    Or more likely, to the ambush they did on us about twelve years ago. The monsters, I meant.


    My father was one of the toughest men of the second generation, being the only man who, though not as physically strong, but physically durable enough to take a beating from the strongest man of that time.


    And not just one or two hits. My father could literally stand his ground even for hours on end. Gaining himself the respect of humanity, and humanity''s greatest.


    As for my mother. She was but an ordinary woman. Her only striking feature would be her good hands, and extreme beauty.


    Mother was good with the chores, cooking, washing, cleaning, making, fixing. Basically anything that required simple thought process and one''s hands.


    Though not a special trait, it was still worth noting. Especially so, with her stamina. Mother could work from dawn till dusk, without breaking a sweat. Then work me and my father as well.


    But it was unfortunate both had to lose their lives at quite an early age. It still hurts at times, thinking about them.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Father died protecting many young warriors, who are now growing up to be fine young men and pirs of humanity. One of them being the infamous Damien Gray.


    They were out training at an early age of seven to nine, but big brother Damien was around four to five years old at that. Approximately four.


    Yes, strange. But he was apparently strong even as a child. He had a tough body and a clever mind, so he was, for some reason, also being trained.


    Everything was flowing perfectly fine for a while. But that did notst long.


    The rizards, a specie of zing lizards that can spit out literal fire, fireballs out of their mouth, made an ambush on them.


    As it seemed, they nned to ambush from behind, grab the young ones, and escape. It would have been possible considering that the training ground was at the far edge of the city.


    And the walls were notrge enough to stop those slithering snake-like bastards from climbing up. Our defenses were not imprable.


    Thus, they carefully sneaked up from behind everyone. I honestly me the guards for beingckluster and careless, but truthfully, nobody expected an ambush so deep within the settlement.


    Hence they were caught off guard. Including father. From what I heard, fireballs were spit everywhere, humans burned, and rizards were skewered.


    It was a mess.


    And when Father reacted, it was toote.


    He had no choice but to take the vanguard and hold back the rizards, while Mother, who just so happened to want to watch father do his job, helped the children evacuate.


    Pity... Truly, a pity indeed.


    Father did, manage to stop the rizards for a while. But at the end of the day, a human, was but a human.


    No matter how durable father was, he was, ultimately still a human, and not some supernatural being made up of steel. He was still made up of flesh and blood.


    He ended up losing his life, and the rizards pushed on at full speed. Mind you, the guards were still not here yet. It was strange.


    I, for one, find it strange.


    But maybe it''s my rage and unwillingness to ept everything. Or so everyone tells me so. Everyone except my new family of course.


    Either way, all the men, and the few women, including mother, who hade to watch their husbands and children, turned back to fight as well.


    Stupid. I know. I sometimes resent mother for that silly decision. But at the end of the day, they did save lives, including big brother Damien... but at what cost?


    Life.


    Saving life, at the cost of life.


    Really, stupid...


    The guards ended up arriving on time, but as far as I heard, they said that the rizards were torn apart from limb to limb, and their hearts dug out brutally.


    They said the scene was a gore scene, as blood sprayed everywhere, with organs and intestines decorating the area even more.


    Not even a grown up men, could bare watching for a bit longer than a couple of seconds, let alone the women and the elderly.


    And till this day, nobody still knows what actually happened, and who was as monstrous as that. People imed it was my father, and the im did make sense.


    Some imed that it was humanity''s strongest of that time, Uncle Gray. This im likewise made even more sense. And some, just me it on their luck.


    But why, don''t I believe any of that?


    Yes, my father is strong, but not so strong?


    And uncle Gray arrivedte as well. He, himself also denies it. So it does not make sense. But what does not make more sense, is my belief.


    I believe big brother Damien has something to do with this. I don''t know how, or why, and also should not care. But I just do. And my belief is baseless, I know.


    Let us forget that. What''s important is that, since then, the Grays took me in and adopted me.


    I was raised with their son, big brother Damien, who is a year older than me. I was under their care until I came of age, and they bought me a house just next door.


    I was actually spoiled by them.

 Chapter 5 Juliette Silver II

    ?Uncle Gray bought me anything I wanted, and treated me like a princess.


    Even though I was reserved and humble, I still pretty much got every toy every other girls had.


    Aunt Esther also did a lot of things with me. I was taught to cook, clean, wash, make, fix or the likes by her. I was even taught how to gossip, and gather information.


    Okay, thest one was a bit too much. But I was actually good at information gathering now. Helped me in being more aware of my soroundings.


    Then, there was big brother Damien. He... literally just became my everyday source of joy. My protector. My best friend. My crush. My everything.


    And yes, I would do anything for that man. Even to put on a dog leash, and let him walk me like a... ahem, ahem. Pardon. Let''s move on.


    At the end, I grew up.


    And as a grown up woman, I could now live by myself, and fend for myself. This was my decision, and they supported it wholeheartedly...


    While making sure I was still close by.


    Thus, even as I lost my parents, I never lost my family. I still had people who loved me, and still cared dearly for me. Noints from my side.


    Mom, dad, rest in peace.


    Your daughter is well taken cared off.


    Yes. Well taken cared off. That was so, until a moment ago, when something strange urred to me while I was sleeping soundly on my bed.


    TING!!!


    A loud chime rang within my head, and shook me from my slumber. I could not exin it properly, but I felt it through both my soul and my flesh.


    It was as if I was submerged within the coldest pool of negative zero degrees, while a bell was rung, right besides my ears. Waking me up instantly like a frightened kitten.


    I swear it was loud, so loud it even woke up those who are deep sleepers as instantly as I. Or those my age, busy with theirte night activities at the moment.


    I do not me them. They are now adults, and could do a lot more than they were expected to do a year ago. I would too, but I am afraid to initiate it first.


    But that was of no importance, for as soon as I woke up, with my heart restlessly throbbing within my chest as if trying to jump out, I was caught off guard by yet, another surprise.


    [ Greetings all living beings. I am The Primordial Source of All Things. And Ie in peace. I bring with me an Era of Genesis and Revolution ]


    [ Those willing to change their lives for the better, please select the "Yes" option. Those not sure, please stay calm, and be sureter ]


    [ Would you desire to initiate "Trials of Ascension"? ]


    [ " YES " ]


    [ " NO " ]


    "..."


    I was speechless.


    I, bbergasted, was.


    Dumbfounded, I was.


    ...I was confused actually. Sorry.


    I mean, what kind of trick was this? What sick psycho would dare do something like this? Late at midnight. At the bossom of the night. Who would believe this?


    I stared at the thing I thought was within my head in stupor, and speechlessness. I know that''s not word, but it''s not important. My shock was, though.


    Those were my thoughts in my moment of stupor. My entire being obviously trying to rationalize this experience, and calm my nerves and my frightened heart.


    And it was close to working.


    For, as I was about topletely calm down and assess everything properly, I heard a rough knock on my door, which further frightened me.


    Bam~ Bam~ Bam~ Bam~


    It was as if some beast was trying so hard, just to barge into my room, and ravage me into pieces. I was scared shitless. Of course I''d be scared!!


    Like people!! It''ste at night, can''t you all just sleep and dream peacefully?! Some of us are still maidens you know!!


    Hooh~ Anyway.


    "Eeek!!"


    I let out a cute scream as I hurriedly hid within my nkets. Yes, I am a scaredy cat, a bit dramatic too, but so what?


    What else would you expect from a young woman who just came of age?


    ...Okay, maybe I need help.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Juliette!! Juliette!! It''s me, open up."


    And help, seems to be here!!


    It was then, that I came out of my shock, and heard the voice I was probably dreaming to hear for ages, ring within my ears. Big brother Damien!! My superhero!! My idol!!


    He called out loudly and ruefully, knowing fully well I was in a state of panic due to the appearance of this strangeness, and his rough knocking.


    But I should have known better.


    Secondster, I jumped out of the bed, not trying to be silent at all, and rushed towards the door with heavy steps. I made sure he was well aware of my response, even before I opened the door.


    And ta-daa, soon, the door was unlocked from inside, and once open, before he could even do anything or react at all, I did what any other fan girl would do...


    "Big brother Damiiieeeeen!!!"


    I flew.


    Rather, I recklessly threw herself into his arms, and tightly held onto him for my dear life, shamelessly pressing my whole body onto his.


    "It''s alright. It''s alright. Let''s go in, wear something proper and I''ll exin everything to you." He did not seem to mind, and gentlyforted me.


    My dear big brother Damien. I thought to myself, trying not to dramatically sob.


    Sobs of happiness of course.


    And with me in his arms, big brother Damien walked into my house and closed the door behind him. Then into my room, without any shame at all.


    I held onto him throughout the walk, for a while longer, and finally let go. I just realized that I only wore my thin nightgown. It was basically see through.


    My inner wear was clearly visible, and my beasts up for view. But I did not mind, and did not see anything wrong at all. He was probably used to watching my naked body by now.


    I moved away and changed my clothes. Of course in the exact same room as him.


    And he did not seem bothered at all. He just stared me down, with his sharp gaze, that held a hint of gentleness to them.


    And I liked that.


    Especially the way his eyes explored my bare body. It gave me slight chills, and caused my heart to palpitate in excitement.


    But I did change very quickly, for I could feel that he was in a rush. And I knew for a fact that, he was not impressed with my body at all. Sadly.


    Really, sadly. My poor pride...


    "Big brother, what is going on?" I quickly changed into a nice summer dress, that held my figure tightly at the waist area, and the stomach. It was sleeveless, and exposed a portion of my back.


    It emphasized my beauty, and perfectly plump figure. Not to brag, but I was actually quite the looker. As expected of my mother''s daughter. Hehe~


    Big brother Damien stared me up and down, and I was eagerly awaiting his response. I mean, I wore this for him. Nobody else. Unfortunately...


    "Wear something that would be movable within." He responded inly as he sat down on my bed. Momentster, he took my nket into his hands and took a casual sniff at them.


    "..."


    I wordlessly ignored that, and obediently changed as he ordered.


    I, likewise, also ignored the, "Whenst did you wash these sheets?" question that he followed up with.


    "Now what?" I wore a tight ck trouser that held my figure perfectly well. My curves were more prominent in this trouser than the dress.


    I also wore a skin tight simple in white shirt. Held my chest perfectly fine. I turned around for him to check me out, and he casually nodded.


    I ultimately moved closer to him, and sat besides him. On my bed. That he seems to make his. Right after insulting my bed sheets.


    Speaking of bed sheets...


    I also sniffed at the sheets, and wondered why he would ask me such a stupid question. I mean, my sheets are not that bad. I washed themst weekend you know?!


    "Alright, here''s the thing." He faced me and sternly began to speak.


    I also threw out any irrelevantment I had at the moment, and listened attentively to hising words.


    You know, he actually looks more handsome when he is... wait, wait, focus girl, focus!!


    Ipletely focused on his words, but they only pissed me off. "I don''t have much time to exin things to you properly, since you were changing your clothes like the little princess you are."


    "Excuse me? Little?" I responded back, clearly offended at his words. Like seriously, big brother... I have grown. In many areas.


    "So I''ll just cut to the chase." He ignored me. Oh wow.

 Chapter 6 Sage Of Beginnings

    ?"What this thing says, is true. You, and I, right now will ept its offer. Once done, I''ll have all the time in the world to exin myself to you."


    "Is that clear, Julie?"


    Oh? I looked up at him, seemingly caught up into his gaze. Those words felt so dreamy, I was hallucinating hearing him say it again.


    "Is that clear, Julie?" His eyes softened at me as he spoke, standing up at the same time. Ah? So I was not hallucinating?


    I continued to look up at him. He was also staring down at me, and honestly, it was giving me shivers.


    Of excitement. Do they even exist?


    "Yes." Anyway, that was all I could say to him. I even wanted to say more, like... no wait, I''m losing focus of the main point here.


    "Alright. That''s great then." Big brother Damien nodded to himself, and went to lock the door to my house. Ah, I had forgotten to lock after he brought me in.


    How clumsy. Not like there was anything secretive we were about to indulge in. Haah~ Yet another pity.


    "In three, we will both ept, okay? Time is already wasted, but I can make up for it." He said, his words not ming me one bit, or even the least bit bothered.


    Big brother...


    "Three...."


    Wait, wait, Im not prepared!!


    "Two..."


    Big brother Damiiieeeeen!!!


    "One..."


    Please give me a moment!!


    No? Okay.


    He gazed at me, as I also gazed at him in slight panic. I tried my best to ignore his powerful gaze, and what effects it had on my virgin heart, and listened to his words.


    He then smiled as he reached the final countdown. Though I was mesmerized, as always, I managed to ept the thing within my head with him.


    "Yes."


    ''I choose yes.''


    He said it out loud, and I thought to myself. What else was I supposed to do, I had no idea we had to say it out loud!!


    Luckily, either way was fine, because right after we epted, both of us were blinded by a bright white light, that seemed to overshadowed every other light of the world.


    I am impressed... I did not scream out loud.


    Or overreact, like the drama queen I was.


    *** Narrative ***


    Like the same experience he went through back then, from the previous lifetime, white light engulfed the entire room and swallowed every other color and concept that was known to them.


    Even sight, hearing, taste, any other senses, feelings, emotions, or even just words and thoughts themselves. They were all nullified.


    As both beings entered a state simr to Nirvana for a brief instant. A state of extreme peace and tranquility. Of Absolute Silence.


    And by the time that everything returned to normal, Damien found himself standing within a rocky area. It had a terrifying steep slope, and rivers ofva everywhere.


    The ce he was at, was quite strange.


    The rocks were red, and the sky a bit dull. It also gave off a gloomy experience to anyone who kept staring for more than a second.


    As if intentionally trying to bring out the darkness within the person, and hidden thoughts of whoever was staring it. Making them gloomy as well.


    "Big brother... where, where are we?" The young woman besides him, Juliette Silver, held on to his arm, as she meekly inquired in a whisper.


    Her casual thoughts and safety brought by the feeling of being around him, were extinguished immediately. Hence she felt the need to be closer to him than ever.


    "Beats me."


    Damien responded as such. The Primordial Source tested everyone differently. And the ces they were sent to, were also nonexistent Realms.


    They did not exist, for after this trial, they would cease to exist conceptually and metaphysically. They were simply meant to be a testing ground, and nothing else.


    ''This is the same ce as before. And I would fight a Demon, If I am right.'' Basically, it would be at the same level as him, and would only be allowed a single ability or trait from its race.


    But it''s physical stats would not match his. They would be the same as the lowest level of a demon, the stats of a demonic critter at most, and a bit higher, if he was unlucky.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    But it was still stronger than ordinary second generational humans, so it was still a monster. But to him, the peak even amongst third generational humans, he could easily kill it.


    What he was worried about was Juliette, as well as her uping trial. What kind of trial would someone as talented as her face?


    After all, she was the future "Sage of Beginnings", the very same being that brought an end to an Era, and a beginning to another Era, by herself.


    A terrifying genius that had mastered four Principle Laws. Four. While even terrifyingly talented monsters like Damien only had two Universal Laws at his peak.


    That was an abstract concept even above gods. Yet she had four of them. And let alone the fact that she began an Era, an entire Age. A defining feature of the Plot of Existence!!!


    She also traversed higher leveled Realms such as Heaven, Hell, the Underworld, and even Unfathomable Realms such as the Abyss, Purgatory and many more.


    Fought back armies of demons. Pushed back an invasion of Heaven. Suppressed entire legions of undeads. And many more feats. She was a figure at the level of The peak powerhouses of that time period.


    Damien was really impressed by thisss. It was unfortunate that she went through the trial alone back then, and when she resurfaced, she was a changed person.


    As well as the fact that she avoided him like a gue. So there was not much he knew about the Sage of Beginnings back then.


    Maybe what she went through during the trials, changed her. Or something else entirely. He was truly not sure. But...


    Nothing was stopping him now.


    He was going to make sure that she was protected. And remains as pure and simple as she was. And not the terrifying Sage of Beginnings.


    He could still remember that day even now. It will forever haunt him like a gue.


    Far into the future, or the now irrelevant timeline, the young 17 year old Damien looked up at the terrifying cold beauty. The was no smile or joy on her face at seeing him.


    There was basically no reaction at all.


    "Juliette..." Damien of the future looked up and spoke. He only uttered that one word, with aplicated expression.


    Not much emotion on his face. Just confusion, and thoughtfulness.


    "..."


    The cold beauty floating above him did not say anything. She was beautiful, the most beautiful he had seen even at this time period, where he met gods and devils.


    She wore a starlight long robe, had long silver hair that ran down all the way to her ankles. And around her, were different cmities circting around her.


    Likes around a star.


    They were devastating sun-like fireballs constantly exploding and reforming. Terrifying tsunamis that danced back and form.


    She was sorounded by destruction and creation. Her being the central point between the two.


    She stared down at him, and only waved her hand. The soroundimg mountains within miles on end were imploded into catastrophic mes.


    They were eradicated from the surface of the world, and disintegrated into ashes by her mes. Such power was beyond godly, if not tantly godly.


    And it was just a casual hand movement. Or more likely, a warning.


    "..."


    Damien of that time did not say anything. He was not phased one bit. His gaze still stated on her. More confused and thoughtful.


    He only repeated the same word, "Juliette...", and this time, the god-like beauty responded. Her tone cold, and distant. Emotionless being an understatement to describe it.


    "If you do not leave... that, would be you." She only said those words, her hand pointing towards the destruction she caused.


    And those words were enough for the Damien of that time. He looked down at his feet, and slowly nodded to himself.


    Damien of the current timeline chuckled. It was the same chuckle the future him did right after he heard those words. A chuckle full of bitterness.


    He would change her. That, was a promise made unto himself. One he would keep.


    As for her role? She could still achieve it, and he will make sure of that. In fact, he will make sure she achieves even more than that!!


    Maybe to be something as grand as the future Seven Supremes, that each embodied the Seven Systems of the world, which were at the level of The Primordial Source!!!


    "Let''s see what you got for us, big guy." He spoke out lightly, as a daring smile appeared on his face. His eyes staring straight right before himself and Juliette.


    "..."


    Juliette was not aware of what was going on, or what thoughts her daredevil sweetheart had, but she knew that trouble wasing. Thus she prepared herself.

 Chapter 7 Demon

    ?She still had no idea what was actually going on here though. But she chose to ce absolute trust in Damien. Her idol and her superhero.


    Though she might not know, she was going to find out soon enough. No. She was about to find out instantly!!!


    Boom~


    From a river ofva not far away from the duo, a small explosion urred. It kicked up a ssh of orange-redva up to two to three meters into the sky.


    Then from theva, an egg-like object flew out.


    It was three meters tall, and one and a half meters wide. It was also formed from theva of the river, making it seem vivacious.


    "What... what is that?" Juliette held on tightly to Damien, almost sinking her fingers into his flesh. Damien did not respond at first, and just kept up his daring smile.


    Momentster, he opened his mouth. But Juliette woulde to dislike the words he was about to say.


    "If I''m correct, the rumored devil." He said. It was not a devil though, but a demon. They were different. Yet he did not even seem bothered, but Juliette was.


    "..."


    She stared at her idol, her big brother, in stupor. A lot of words written all over her face, questions to be precise, yet none making its way out of her mouth.


    She just opened, and closed her delicate mouth with no wordsing out. She was adorable to look at. Especially her nk gaze.


    Meanwhile, the egg-likeva membrane suddenly bloomed like a flower. It was beautiful. The scenery made even the frightened Juliette to stare in amazement.


    Yet for only an instant.


    For what came out of that membrane, was the most hideous being she had everid her eyes upon. It was unbelievably, and absolutely... ugly.


    Purely hideous!!


    ...!!!


    It had a two and a half meter tall body, with a humanoid physique. Yet that was where any human-like traits ended.


    It had disoriented arms. The one on the right beingrge and bulky, evenrger than its waist in thickness. The veins on that hand, made it seem like it was about to burst.


    It was disgusting. Juliette made sure to cover her mouth in case she vomited. Or if any blood would fly into her mouth, when it explodes.


    For that was not all. The right hand was not even human-like. It was more like a fore limb of a beasts with three fingers, or rather three paws?


    The left hand was the opposite,pletely thin, like a stick. And being very dark in color, like burnt flesh.


    It resembled more an insect''s limb. While at the hand, it''s fingers were de like, and could be put together to form a make-shift spear head.


    It had two small wings on its back, and an oval head. Two antenna on both sides of the head, each containing an eyeball. With tworge mouths on its muscr chest.


    One horizontally along the chest, and one vertically below the chest, exactly on the stomach. It''s legs were like grasshopper legs, thin and powerful.


    "...!!!"


    Juliette could not bare with it and finally moved behind Damien. She fell on her knees and vomited. She, she had seen blood and gore, but this... was just disgusting!!


    It was just horrific.


    "Yeah. A demon. A low leveled demon at that. It''s as hideous as ever." Damien thought out loud to himself. ncing at Juliette from the corner of his eyes.


    "You good?"


    "I, Fi-¨C Fine..." Juliette responded in between her deep breathing. She was afraid to turn around and look at that thing. In case she emptied her bowels by vomiting even her intestines.


    "Alright then."


    Damien said and nodded at her response.


    He then flexed his muscles and took a single step forward, adding "Don''t worry, I''ll make sure it''s dead as hell in a jiffy."


    "You just make sure to watch our soroundings in case another monster appears." He warned, taking his second step, but the frightened Juliette was faster.


    "Hm?"


    She held onto his leg, or rather, his trousers and stopped him on his tracks. She looked up at him with a pale face, her body slightly trembling. There was despair and fear in her eyes.


    She opened her mouth to speak, but no word came out. She was about to cry, as her eyes got moist. Damien knew why she would react this way, and smiled at her.


    His smile was gentle and reassuring. "Don''t worry sweetheart, thest thing I wanna do is die, and leave you all by yourself in this god forsaken world of ours."


    His words were soft and carefully spoken. Choosing even sweet words to sound even more affectionate. Juliette slightly calmed down, but did not let go.


    Damien stared behind him, and realized that the demon was stilling out of its shell. He then gazed back at Juliette, and stretched his big hand to lift her chin.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He lifted her chin up gently, making sure that her moist, red eyes, gazed straight at his own sky blue jewel blue eyes. He then smiled, a daredevil smile. His eyes slightly squinting at her.


    His voice was a tone lower than usual. Sounding even more charming, and low cased.


    "Look here sweetheart, Julie... times have changed. The thing that you met earlier is called The Primordial Source. A terrifying entity far beyond our greatest understanding."


    "It''s beyond mere godly. And even, beyond the olden ones themselves. It literally is Omnipotent and All Mighty. But what I know is that, it has no ill intentions against us."


    "Or the world." Damien spoke softly, even though his expression was that of a person about to risk his life. His words were soothing. "As for why I know about this, it''s because I''m from the future."


    "A future where... I possibly lost all connection to you, my dearest. It, was quite horrible. Which I have decided toe back and risk it all. For you this time. And..."


    He paused then, "Hahaha hahaha..." Heughed and stood up. A glint of murderous intent shing through his eyes.


    "..."


    Juliette was bbergasted by his words. She waspletely shocked, and did not know what to say or believe.


    No, she believed Damienpletely. Every word he said. She believed him. She knew he was telling the truth. She just knew.


    But she just did not understand what he meant. Lost all connections to her? ''Did I die?'' She wondered to herself, shocked and utterly speechless.


    Her hand loosened it''s grip on his pants, but Damien failed to take that into mind. His murderous gaze, one of excitement and disdain gazed at the demon that was finally out of its shell.


    His words that had trailed off after hisughter, continued, "And... That''s why, I''ll do everything possible. No matter how savage, or how low, to make sure you never leave my side in this lifetime."


    Juliette looked up at him, at Damien, and at that moment, she was frightened. The man that stood before her, was... she felt her heart skip a beat, as his blue eyes were purely oozing murderous intent.


    And pure killing intent.


    His smile clearly one of a devourer, a predator about to tear its prey from limb to limb. It frightened her to the core, yet for some reason, excited her as well.


    Her handpletely loosened it''s grip on him. Damien felt that and turned to look down on her, his smile subconsciously growing even more daring.


    His gaze like that of a god, a devil.


    His eyes subconsciously stared deep into hers, with hidden softness and gentleness within. None of the killing intent nor murderous intent held within.


    "..."


    "So, sweetheart, dearest, princess, would you..." He knelt down before her, lifting her chin up a bit more once more with his fingers, as his intoxicating voice continued, "...would you allow me to throw rationale aside, and protect you at all cost?"


    And thr reply came as fast. "Yes, but..."


    She responded obediently, her eyes absorbed into his handsome face, and powerful predatory gaze. She seemed mindless, his eyes being her current world.


    Yet even then, her subconsciousness, her deepest desire, her instincts, kicked in as she added without even realizing it herself, "Yes, but... not your life. It... It''s mine."


    "..."


    Damien was slightly surprised and caught off guard, but a momentter, he stood up and chuckled to himself. Only one sentence leaving his lips at that moment, "Roger that, sweetheart."


    ~~~


    "..."


    At the same time.


    But different environments.


    The Gray couple were sitting together within the room, still not epting the offer.


    Both wore clothes that were movable within, and then gazed at each other. With goodbye smiles, even though Damien told them that they would be together.


    Then they epted.


    "..."


    "..."


    Nothing happened.


    Both stared at each other in silence. The one choosing to break the silence being Damien''s mother, Esther. She smiled meekly and asked, "How do we ept?"


    "..."


    David was speechless. The reason he was still here, was because he likewise did not know the answer to that question.

 Chapter 8 Superhuman Strength

    ?So what the hell was he supposed to say?


    "I think you scream out yes or something." He ultimately shrugged his shoulders as he suggested. Esther nodded at his words and inquired back.


    "Like this? Yes." She said thest word a bit loud, with conviction and determination.


    Woosh~


    And along those words, bright light bloomed around her body that sorounded them. David was caught off guard and hurriedly covered his eyes in shock.


    Momentster, the bright light receded and Esther was nowhere to be seen.


    "..."


    David was now more than just speechless. He stared at the location Esther used to be at, and immediately clicked his tongue.


    "Oh shit. Yes." He also said the same word, with conviction and determination as well. He was chasing after his wife, hoping that they would be going to the same ce as his son said.


    But he doubted it.


    For he remembered his son''s words, "You should ept it together, to go through the trials together... like the couple you are. And make sure you both make it out alive.".


    Those words said that they should ept together, which they already failed. Then thest statement could be deduced that, where ever they were going to, was not a safe ce.


    ''Brat, next time be specific with your guidance, for fucks sake.'' David clicked his tongue again, as white light lit up the whole room and took him away as well.


    None of them were ready for what was toe. It was even more so, when they saw what they were up against.


    David found himself within a gigantic forest, with trees so tall, they threatened to touch the sky. They seemed like pirs of the world.


    And in front of him, was a being of ten meters in height. The being was chubby, and quite ugly. But thay was not the matter.


    The matter here was that, David had to fight that thing. He could already see iting. Especially when his son''s words always rang within his mind.


    ''Fuck... boy, there are many ways to kill us than through this.'' David was already regretting his decision, let one his wife, Esther.


    "My, oh my." The woman, who was within a different environment of a in, covered her mouth with her palm as she smiled.


    Before her, was a beast like animal that had wind swirling in, and out if existence around its body. And as a fast person, Esther could tell... that her opponent was faster!!


    *** Juliette Silver ***


    My soul mate was currently doing something I''d consider stupid and risky. But that''s just him. And at this point... what can I say?


    Nothing.


    I only stared in stupor as I watched him walk all the way towards the hideous monster. My focus was not on it though, but his powerful back, and his dauntless figure.


    I actually could not believe how easily manipted I was. It was funny now that I thought about it. How could I be this fragile before his gaze? His touch?


    But then again, I actually don''t mind it much.


    Hell I''d do anything just to make him put a leash on me. Let alone be his good little girl. His obedient puppy. His... his everything.


    He then spoke, "Come. Show me what y''all hellspawns are really made up of!!" And that was when I was shaken out of my thoughts by his powerful voice. And provocative words.


    Not like I believed that thing could understand him. His bodynguage was provocative itself.


    I looked up at him. I was still not sure. My body wanted to move so badly, it wanted to hold onto him and beg him not to do this.


    I did not want to lose him. I did not want to lose anyone. I did not want to be all by myself. But... I found to my shock, that I could not move.


    It was as if I was rooted down on the floor like a tree bound by the earth. It was like, a part of me believed in him. It believed that, something like this was not much of a problem to my Damien.


    Yet my fears still existed.


    I closed my eyes and took deep breathes in, and slowly out. I then reopened my eyes and watched the battle with extreme focus.


    I... I wanted to be of use to him. Hence from now on, not only am I to believe in him and his strength, but also to learn more about his battle style.


    I need to see if there will be any ws within the movement of either big brother Damien, or that, demon thingy. Either way, I have to be at extreme focus!!


    Or so I told myself, in order to reduce my nervousness, and my fear.


    And it worked.


    *** Narrative ***


    Damien walked steadily towards the demon, fearless and thirsty for blood. It was right after he promised Juliette he would not throw away his life.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He was surprised by her direct words, and deration that he belongs to her. But for some reason, that only got him excited. Especially her iming him as her own.


    His excitement stimted his blood. It was pumping through his veins at speeds he did not know were possible. It was as if he was about to burn, from inside out.


    His breathing increased, his chest slowly huffed up and down. All the while, his smile only got more an more devil-like.


    As for his eyes, they were clearly out for murder. And nothing more.


    "Come. Show me what y''all hellspawns are really made up of!!" He roared to the demon, and without any hesitation, kicked off the ground and sprinted towards it.


    "Skreeee!!!"


    The demon''s lower mouth also let out a screech of anger as it rushed towards Damien as well. And it was obvious who was faster, even more so from just a brief nce.


    And even Juliette was able to see that, and was actually surprised and impressed.


    Because Damien, was actually faster.


    Damien''s physical body was over three times more powerful than those of other third generational humans, who were likewise five times more powerful than the second generational humans.


    Whom... where ten times more powerful than the ordinary modern human.


    Not only was he over a hundred and fifty times more physically gifted than modern humans, he was also taught martial arts, and full body coordination.


    He was literally a monster in human skin!!


    "Ha!!!"


    "Skree!!"


    Bang!!


    Fist to fist.


    Might with might.


    Two fists collided at the center, resulting in a small explosive sound.


    Juliette covered her mouth in disbelief, not thinking that her Damien would dare fight the demon head on. That was a monster. A big one.


    Meanwhile, the daredevil himself only smiled. His entire arm slightly trembled. Just as he thought, the demon had the Superhuman Strength Ability just like before.


    Demons were originally stronger than humans. And even the lowest Extra grade enhancement ability could increase stats by ten times.


    But even then, it was notparable to Damien, who was monstrous. Even with his natural strength alone, he was still powerful.


    It was further proven more, as their fists shed. The smaller fist of Damien only slightly trembled, while therger fist of the demon...


    It''s fingers were broken, each pointing at a different direction they were not supposed to point at. While it''s hand oozed out green blood, while revealing hints of white bone matter.


    "Schree?"


    The demon screeched in confusion as it pulled back it''s hand, then gazed back at Damien. "Like what you see, little guy?" And he responded with such a light question.


    The demon then stared back at its hand, then at Damien again. It''s eyes squinted as it screeched out in anger and pure murderous intent. Unfortunately...


    "...SKREEE-¨C"


    Damien saw everythinging and "Weak.", threw a powerful punch towards the demon, along with that single word. He did not care about its feelings at all.


    He threw a left, straight punch which perfectly connected. Then without pause followed with a rising uppercut with his right hand, giving the demon a double hitbo.


    Each of his fist dulled its senses, and brought immense pain. Even as durable as demons and monsters were, they were not imprable.


    But he was not done yet, he followed up after with two straight punches. Each of his punches directly aimed at the oval head of the demon, and packed with considerable strength.


    His fists were even painted with fresh, warm green blood. And the oval shape of the demon''s head, was not so oval anymore.


    It was a pity that it had mouths on its chest and stomach, restricting him from using more hits to umte hisbo attack, but it was fine either way.


    To him, this thing was already dead. It stood no chance whatsoever. But standing no chance, did not mean that the demon would not retaliate.


    By the time he sent the fouth punch, and about to follow up with yet another one, the demon held its fingers on its left hand together, forming a makeshift spear head.


    It then pieced towards Damien''s chest. It was clearly smart, but Damien was smarter.

 Chapter 9 Double Trouble

    ?He sidestepped the sneak attack and was about to pull back, when a powerful fist smashed towards him.


    Fortunately, his fast reflects kicked in, causing him to block the iing fist with his arm. But the brutally damaged hand of the demon stillnded on him, and sent him sliding back across the floor, a few meters away.


    Luckily for him, Damien managed to keep his body stable and did not fall over even as the momentum pushed him back. He was as sturdy as a mountain against the wind.


    ''Superhuman Strength alright. It''s ability is not for show.'' He thought as he stood up and adjusted his posture. The daring smile still on his lips.


    "..."


    Juliette, who had her heart stuck at her throat in fright, finally breathed in a sigh of relief. She once again realized she was still weak. She could not even follow their attack patten at all.


    Meanwhile, Damien checked his arm and saw that even with Superhuman Strength, the demon could not even bruise him. His defenses were naturally high after all.


    He then suddenlyughed to himself, flexing his muscles and loosening his joints. Hisugh was low, yet bone chilling cold.


    It was like a death sentence to anyone who was unfortunate to be facing him.


    And indeed. Damien was about to end this fight once and for all right now. Time was of the essence after all. He did not forget that.


    "Skreee..."


    The demon checked its right hand, which was even more damaged due to its sneak attack. But it was not worried, it would heal.


    What it was worried about now was Damien.


    His presence was now a threat towards its life. It''s instincts screamed at it to pull back, yet it saw no hope even then.


    Hence it continued to screech out in warning, in hopes of trying to scare back the prey. No, the predator after its life. "Skreee..."


    "Not today buddy."


    Damien whispered under his breathe, right before charging towards the demon at full speed. His speed was monstrous, and wind stirring.


    ...!!!


    Both the demon and Juliette were surprised.


    Especially so, as Damien was functioning under the effects of adrenaline, which boosted his speed and strength even more!!


    He crossed the few meter distance between them instantly. The demon, in a fit of panic, sent out it''s left hand to piece towards his rushing figure in anger.


    But Damien had other ns for it.


    Thus, right before he arrived near the demon, he slid across the ground and intended to pass by, right in between its leg.


    But instead of just simple sliding in between the demon''s legs, he spread out both of his hands. He used them to mimick a hurdle, and tripped the demon.


    Thanks to his speed, and momentum, he was able to achieve his goal just as he went by its legs, resulting in it falling face t on the ground.


    "Gotcha!!!"


    With quick movements, Damien stopped his momentum and hurriedly jumped on the demon''s back and held its left hand as fast as he could.


    And without rest, or catching his breathe, he twisted the arm, not caring about breaking any bones or hurting the poor demon.


    He twisted with all his might, then pulled it towards the demon''s right shoulder de. His intentions were clear.


    A smile of pleasure and excitement on his lips, he sunk the spear-like des fingers deeply into its right shoulder bone.


    "SKREEEEEE!!!!"


    He used his full strength, resulting in the ded fingers sinkingpletely into the demon''s right shoulder. Not much resistance was felt.


    "Hahahaha!!!"


    The pain caused the demon to hurriedly stand up and pushing Damien back. But the daredevil onlyughed it off and slowly stood up.


    He carefully watched as the demon fell back down due to its... posture. The left hand wasbined with the demon''s right shoulder. Getting up was going to be quite the chore.


    Especially so, when it''s fingers on its right hand were broken and almost shattered. And it''s wings being too small to lift it off the ground.


    The poor thing could only scream in pain and agony as Damien moved closer to it.


    With every step he took, it dreaded for its life and desired to be spared. But Damien did not speak the demon tongue. But even if he could understand it, he still would not spare it.


    Not a chance in hell.


    He climbed atop its back, and looked down on its pain-filled eyes. He only smiled, and the more he watched, the more his smile got more and more excited.


    Luckily, Juliette was faced with his back. But she knew Damien for over ten years. She knew what expression he currently had.


    And she was used to it.


    Just that, personally seeing him so ruthless for the first time, made her heart skip a beat. She was not sure whether it was fear, or excitement.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    But for now, she desired no answers.


    As for Damien himself. He stretched out both his hands towards the demon''s antennas, which each held one of its eyeballs.


    He then held onto each eye with his hands, grasping them gently. His voice was also low and gentle as he spoke, "You demons like preaching darkness everywhere right?"


    "Don''t worry, allow me to help. I''ll make sure darkness, is the only thing you see from here on out." He smiled, or rather smirked at the demon and put more strength in his hands.


    Crunch~


    Crunch~


    Two unpleasant sounds rang out within the silent battlefield. Loud enough for even Juliette to hear it from where she was.


    She hurriedly covered her mouth and turned her head away. Her face was pale, and her body was trembling slightly. She was terrified.


    "SKREEEEEEEEE!!!"


    The demon let out an even more powerful screech of pain, agony and terror.


    One could hear all these emotions from its cries alone, let alone from its squirming body.


    But Damien''s figure stood powerfully above the demon, making sure that it could only scream and not move around too much.


    He only watched. Like a devil prosecutor.


    His smile reced by extreme indifference as he continued watching. From excitement, to disgust, to disdain. To ultimately no reaction whatsoever.


    He watched for a few more seconds until the demon calmed down by itself, and lost all strength to retaliate.


    At this time, Damien finally got off its body and moved towards a small pile of rocks. He picked out one extremely sharp rock and tested its weight with his hand.


    It was quite heavy, but for someone like him, not that much of a problem. Thus he nodded with a light smile, and moved towards the demon lying down on the floor.


    It was time to end this fuss.


    The demon that made him stress, and tortured himst time, finally got what it deserves. Anymore, and he would terrify Juliette. Or possibly traumatize her.


    Unfortunately, the young woman was more than just terrified at this point. And Damien had yet to be aware of that fact.


    But, what would it change even if he were aware of that fact?


    Damien moved towards the demon and knelt down on a single knee besides it. He had no words to say to it. Nor did he feel like beating down on an already dead dog.


    Hence a simple death would end it all. After that, they would look for the opponent that Juliette was supposed to defeat and end this trial as soon as possible.


    If, possible.


    "..."


    He raised the sharp stone and was about to stab it towards the oval head of the demon. It was the ce with the demon''s core, it''s heart, it''s central key point.


    But then...


    "Damien!!!"


    ...!!!


    But right then, thanks to Juliette''s cry calling out to him desperately, and his instincts kicking in, he found himself avoiding a cmity.


    They both helped him raise the sharp stone a size wider than his waist, to cover his head as fast as he could respond.


    As for why?


    Boom!!!


    Damien did not see what it was. But it was red and so powerful, it rivaled a grenade going off. Both in power and momentum, thus pushing him away from the dying demon.


    And of course, dealing even more blunt damage to the already dying demon. It was way beyond itsst breathe at this point.


    While Damien''s body was flung out of the explosion like a rag doll, and sent rolling on the ground like a broken kite.


    Juliette did not even realize when, but she was already running towards him at full speed.


    She did not know what she was going to do once she was there. But she had to know. She had to verify whether her Damien was still alive!!


    And to be besides him. No matter how unreasonable her thought process was. She was not thinking sanely after all. Fear was driving her every movement.


    ''Please please, God I beg of you, please keep him alive. Please!!'' She prayed mid sprint, ignoring the newly appearing entity that attacked Damien just a moment ago.


    To her, the world was now Damien.

 Chapter 10 Fire Spirit

    ?*** Juliette Silver ***


    I could not believe what I wasying my eyes upon. It was just unbelievable. My big brother Damien, my idol, my superhero...


    Happens to not be so heroical.


    It''s hard to believe, yet not impossible.


    We grew up under gore. And the young men grew up fighting at the young early age of seven or nine years old.


    They grow up under bloody circumstances.


    Their views would of course be twisted. Especially so, when some of them are taught to be nothing but war machines that only know how to fight for their race.


    Damien Gray, being one of the most perfect specimen of that subject.


    So big brother being like this, is not much of a surprise? Yes, it is not. I, myself, was just caught off guard. Just a bit.


    That was all.


    I just could not believe that my idol, happens to bepletely different to what I always dreamed about. I felt betrayed.


    But... once again, I understand. I am not disgusted at his behavior. Okay, I am. But I am trying to adjust my mentality to better suit his.


    To better be a strong woman.


    One worthy of being by his side. Unfortunately, I am not born a warrior, and could not join him. I am frail bodied, and afraid of too much blood.


    I did get used to blood as I grew up, and am no more as disgusted as before. But maybe, I was notpletely over that irrational fear just yet.


    For I could feel my stomach twist and turn the more I watched the gory scene before me eyes. I vomited more than once, as I saw big brother Damien crush the eyes of that... demon thing.


    I was even shaken when I saw him twist its hand. I felt my hand tingle.


    Especially at my shoulder. I felt even more so, when he dared to stab it with its own ded hands. How ruthless.


    My body just involuntarily shook, wondering how would I fare if I was the one being pinned down. And no, I do not mean it like that. This is a serious matter.


    But I was more shaken when I saw how he was willing to bash its head with a stone.


    I was not sure how I would fare if I actually saw him bash its head repeatedly just to kill it. Such a scene was utterly... gruesome. And inhumane. Even upon demons.


    Maybe if he did it once, which I was begging God that he did, I would not feel so disgusted or repulsed? Perhaps. Maybe. I can never be sure.


    But if it fails, and he has to do it repeatedly...


    I was, truly not sure how I was going to take that and digest it. I might even be traumatized.


    At the end of the day, I am just a house girl, taught a few self defense hand to handbat techniques, and assassination techniques. Nothing else.


    And overally, I took over my mother''s trait of being a hard worker. I was never a fighter. I was a coward. I knew that. I was even afraid of blood at some point.


    How pathetic, right?


    I know. Real pathetic. But I am trying. And at some point, I will get used to it. And I will surprise... surprise...? Wait, what is that?


    I turned my head from big brother Damien and his actions. I know I should watch him do it.


    I mean, what him bash that demon''s skull, I had to, if I genuinely wanted to get used to it. If I wanted to sharpen my mentality.


    But I felt my senses tingle. My womanly intuition was warning me about danger. Yes, I might be going crazy, but I felt it like that.


    I don''t believe I have survival instincts, so it was definitely my womanly instincts.


    And I was spot on. I saw theva from the nearby river churn silently. It churned and twisted slightly, forming a small whirlpool.


    It was beautiful to look at.


    But that was all.


    "..."


    I watched intently as from the center of the whirlpool, a flicker of mes zed out and grew into something resembling a human-like child.


    "...!!!"


    The child was human-like, with a thin physique. Unlike a baby with its baby fat, it had a well trained physique.


    It had long ears, and adorable facial features that rivaled the cutest babies I''ve ever seen. A body seemingly that a child-god. It was angelic.


    And was around thirty centimeters tall. It''s mouth was silentlyughing mischievously. Or was chuckling to itself, while staring at big brother Damien intently.


    It then felt my gaze and turned to look at me. I was surprised, and of course fearful. But I could not help but stare as it stared back at me.


    The little thingughed at me, then stretched out it''s hand. The whirlpool spat our another flicker of mes, which gathered above its hand, forming a small twirling fireball.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    It''s gaze was still on me.


    I was more than fearful at this point.


    And I honestly thought it was aiming for my life. My breathe stopped, and my heart paused. I felt the world go silent as everything was more than clear to me.


    I was in a trance, yet also in a state of absolute fear. Hence I was frozen on the spot like a rooted tree, without knowing what to do.


    I was even afraid of calling out to big brother Damien. Fearful that it would attack him instead. How was he going to fight this thing? It was literally made up of mes.


    And fires... still haunt me even to this day. My parents, died to me-spitting creatures after all. I was not about to lose yet another loved one to mes again.


    Never. Not again!!


    But... A humanoid creature made out of fire. How do we fight that? How do we even damage fire to begin with?! It was even scarier than the rizards!!


    "..."


    The thing ignored me and my thoughts, and stared towards big brother Damien again. He was about to bash the demon''s head right at this moment.


    And as if this thing knew it too. As if it knew he was invulnerable right now, and that I was much weaker, and could be left forst as dessert, it attacked him.


    ...!!!


    Even within my state of fear, I knew that I had to scream. Anything. Even it did not make any sense at all. I had to alert big brother Damien of theing danger.


    Right now!!


    "Damien!!!"


    Hence I found myself calling him directly with his name. Funny, really.


    Who knew that the first thought, that woulde to my mind during my despair, was his name? Damien.


    Okay, maybe everyone knew that.


    Including myself as well.


    Unfortunately, even then, my cry was a little bit toote. The fire ball struck him directly and exploded out into a powerful explosion.


    ...!!!


    I don''t know how many times I was shaken to the core today, but it did not matter. I was terrified again. The explosion made even the ground tremble slightly.


    One could already imagine it''s power.


    Right now, I found myself rushing towards big brother Damien with all my speed. I was worried. I was shaken. I was terrified. I was not thinking straight!!


    I did not even know how I was breathing, but I swear my heart stopped beating throughout my sprint. I could hardly even hear my own breathe.


    My focus was on him, and only him.


    He was my world now.


    *** Narrative ***


    Damien hurriedly stood up from the impact. He briefly gazed at the rock that he protected himself with, and realized it waspletely ck.


    He threw it away and it shattered into debris.


    That explosion was powerful. It gave him damage for once. His body was acting inside out, but he ignored it and manually suppressed the intense pain.


    ''Shit. That hurt. And where''s Juliette?'' Damien cussed and hurriedly stared at Juliette running towards him. His will was strong enough to disregard his pain.


    And thus, with inhuman speed, he also ran towards her, and tackled her with a frontal sweep push, then rolling aside using the generated momentum.


    Because, right then, another fireball was headed towards her. And it exploded right where she was about to step.


    "...!!!"


    Juliette was frightened more than ever now. She was useless, and felt it herself. But right now, it was not a time to me herself. Nor beat herself down.


    She instinctively held onto Damien tightly. Damien himself did not mind, and hurriedly ran away with her in his embrace.


    He was fast enough to appear as a blur, the spirit not being able to react in time. He then ran behind the nearestrge rock he could see, and hid there with her.


    "..."


    "..."


    Both held their breathes, afraid to let up at all.


    Juliette was fearful, and was thinking about how dangerous this situation was. She was wondering why they were even here to begin with.

 Chapter 11 Wits Against Flames

    ?Meanwhile, Damien was wondering how Juliette from back then managed to defeat her opponent. This trial was fair, hence Juliette''s trial should be human friendly.


    So, what the f*ck was that?!


    Damien thought to himself.


    From what he could guess, that thing was a spirit. Thus it had physical damage immunity, and could dish out long range attacks.


    To sum, them as humans, were weak and invulnerable against it. Now, how did Juliette, who was fragile, pass such a trial back then? How did she pass such difficulty by herself?


    Damien thought and thought, and it did not take long for him toe to a conclusion. Wits. She must have outsmarted the spirit, and using something against it.


    But what? He thought while scouting the environment with his eyes. Yes. The terrain.


    As for why he was so sure that she was at the same environment as this one, he was not. He was just betting on it himself.


    And since he came to a conclusion, he moved. He already had a n in mind, and it was wless, thus why hesitate?


    Time... was still not on their side.


    "I''ll be back." He whispered lightly. Juliette was unable to react in time as a bolt of lightning burst out of the hiding spot they were in, and rushed towards another boulder.


    "..."


    She was left speechless and in shock.


    She was wondering why he was brave enough, to rush out like they were not fighting supernatural beings right now. As well as how irresponsible he was, to just up and abondan her.


    Twice.


    As for Damien himself, Juliette was the least of his worries. He knew the current her was not as bold. She would not dare rush forward like him, or follow behind him.


    She had trust that he had a n. And she would resent herself if she were to ruin it, by bing a burden. He knew her pretty well.


    Thus right now, the only thing on his mind was to run. And so, he ran.


    He ran so fast he seemed like a blur moving from boulder to boulder, until he hid behind a muchrger boulder.


    The spirit failed to respond in time once again. Every fireball it released was left far behind by Damien, and hence missed its target.


    This enraged the spirit, yet also made it cautious and careful about Damien. His speed was inhumane.


    He was bing more of a threat now.


    Hence it ced absolute focus on his actions. It was to the point that it was not aware of Juliette, who was watching both of them carefully, with a determined re.


    Meanwhile, as Damien hid behind the boulder, he subconsciously smiled. The same smile that the demon came to dread, and one that Juliette found mesmerizing.


    He picked up arge rock with one hand and held it carefully. He breathed out lightly, and threw it as high as he possibly could, slightly towards the direction of the spirit.


    All eyes were on therge rock, including those of Juliette as well. But Juliette only gazed for a brief moment, and after realizing the rock was not Damien she made her move.


    Damien also made his move as well.


    During that brief moment, he grabbed a smaller rock and rushed out of his hiding spot. He threw the rock towards the spirit, while making sure he ran, as fast as he could, towards yet another hiding location.


    And it just so happened to be close to something that he deemed important for this battle. Something vital, that he failed toplete a moment ago!!


    Damien hid behind the boulder that he found himself rushing towards, right after leaving Juliette behind.


    He hid, as his thoughts ran wild with ideas.


    Ideas on how to properly end the situation. And of how to quickly do so as well, in under three minutes at that.


    After all, he did remember that, the more talented a person, the more trials they have to undergo. Hence the better the rewards they would obtain.


    Back then, he had defeated his opponent in under two minutes, afraid of being left behind by those that entered before him.


    And thus, the previous him had epted the Superhuman Strength ability from defeating the demon. It dide in handy for someone who was already strong.


    But it was but an Extra grade level ability.


    It was rumored that those who defeated two trials, and forgo both abilities, would obtain an exclusive Unique grade ability suitable for them and their future.


    And those talented enough to defeat the limit of five trials, would obtain an Ultimate grade ability as a starter pack.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    They might not be able to use such abilities at the beginning due to their cost and resources, but the passive effects were still avable!!


    Imagine a "Fire Controller" Unique grade ability, it''s passive effects would be having Fire Immunity to anything below Unique grade. That being, anything but gods.


    Or a Unique grade "Supernatural Strength", the passive effects were an increase to Strength by a hundred times. Permanently at that. That would make anyone near godly.


    Let alone an Ultimate grade "Godly Strength", that permanently impressed Strength by a thousand times as a passive effect. One could already imagine.


    Unfortunately, Damien back then had only defeated a single trial, and learned of this information years into the future.


    He was unaware of how many trials he could take. And he was unaware of what position he would obtain if he had unleashed hispleted potential.


    Thus now, he was willing to find out.


    And that would be three minutes after the appearance of the spirit. Every three minutes, a new trial would appear.


    If after three minutes, no new trial appears, means you''ve reached the limit of your potential.


    So far, he knew that the demon was his trial, and the spirit was Juliette''s trial. The spirit arrived exactly three minutes after the demon arrived.


    And now, two minutes were almost up, and they had less than a minute and a half to take this fellow down. Unless they wanted to fight a two on two battle.


    So, Damien steeled his heart and smiled. He was risking his life right now, but that was what he loved about this new,ing Era.


    Everything was a do or die. And he was a diehard. A daredevil. And he was all about that.


    ~~~


    But then he suddenly thought about the trials. In the meantime, he was waiting for am opportunity to attack.


    He was not sure about himself, but he knew that Juliette would face four trials today. Hence the minimum amount of opponents they would have to fight, would be...


    Five.


    And that was about to move to three soon.


    ''Got it. It''s either you or me buddy, a do or die. And I cherish my life.'' Damien thought to himself as he held arge rock twice his head in size.


    It was not heavy, but more than attention grabbing. Plus, he knew that the spirit was now threatened by his existence, hence it would focus on his every step, his everyone move.


    And that was what he currently desired.


    He threw the rock as high as he possibly could, making sure that it was slightly towards the direction of the spirit.


    Both the spirit and Juliete loked up, caught off guard by the fast moving rock. It''s fast pace made it hard to tell what it was with a single, brief nce.


    Hence why it took a second or two to verify that it was but a rock. It even took Juliette less time to think about what that action meant.


    She hurriedly gazed at Damien, and realized he was no longer where he used to be. She did not think much and also moved her body.


    She ran from her hiding spot, to another one located back, and silently at that.


    Avoiding a situation where the spirit would attack her, to force Damien out.


    Juliette might not be battle oriented, but the thing she disliked the most, was being a burden to Damien. Or being used as a chip or a weapon against him.


    Thus her thoughts were always focused on making things easier for Damien. Such thoughts even dominated her fear and rationale thought process.


    It was a resonance of sorts, she thought.


    Meanwhile, the spirit was even more careful.


    It did not take its gaze off the rocks until it realized that it was sent towards another direction slightly behind it.


    And even then, it still turned around to check if there were any sneak attacks from behind. It treated Damien''s every move as a target to its life.


    One could say it was paranoid, and indeed it was. The spirit did see how easily outsmarted the demon was, and how it''s own body was used against it.


    So the spirit was more than careful. And that was a mistake. Unfortunately, this mistake... would cost it its life today.


    For once it realized everything was safe and the rock was just a blind attack, it also realized that it lost track of its target.

 Chapter 12 First Blood

    ?It did not believe that Damien would stay behind the same rock after being given so much free time. It waspletely on guard.


    It surveyed the environment.


    Yet could not find even a single area where it could pin point where Damien was. Nor where Juiette was.


    The spirit saw her as harmless, yet not stupid. It knew that she was also given so much free time. Hence why it riled up two fireballs within each palm of its hands.


    While doing nothing but surveying the environment with full focus.


    Pity... what the spirit failed to take into consideration, was the dying body of the demon that it had unintentionally rescued.


    It was missing.


    It''s focus was more on Damien. And Juliette in second ce. While the demon? It did not even care about its life, let alone its corpse.


    Unfortunately for it, the demon was a crucial part of Damien''s current n. And the very reason why the spirit would lose its life right about now.


    *** Juliette ***


    I was still scared shitless, and trembling to myself, when words that causes my heart to freeze for the nth time today, rang within my ears.


    "I''ll be back."


    They were the words of my only hope and salvation, ringing out while fading away within my ears. I was surprised. I was bbergasted.


    But most importantly, I felt betrayed once again. How could one man betrayed my heart so many times in a row, in a single day, under five minutes!!


    How?!


    I thought to myself while watching his figure hide behind another boulder quite far from here. It was as if he was making sure I would not have the courage to chase after him.


    And I do not.


    Congrattions to him. I thought to myself, rxing my nervousness. I sometimes love my thought process you know.


    The fact that I don''t seem like I am taking this seriously at all. It shows I was a bit sick in the head, and I actually am d about that.


    But believe me, I am not.


    That aside, I watched as big brother Damien took arge rock, onerger than an adult humans head within his hand.


    He weighed it briefly and then threw it up as strongly as he could possibly throw.


    I followed the rock briefly, until I felt my senses kicking in. I hurriedly looked back at big brother Damien, and there...


    He was gone!!


    It did not take much thought from my side to rationalize his actions. That rock was a decoy. A trap. And a signal for us to switch positions to confuse the enemy!!


    I am not sure if that was the case, but I took it as such. And my body did not fail to respond as well. Hence I made my move.


    I hurriedly, yet silently moved as well, rushing towards a close by boulder at the back.


    And from there, I moved towards the closest one, then the closest one to that one. And mind you, I was carefully retreating all the while, at my fastest speed.


    Making sure to be careful.


    I was switching position really fast and carefully, and soon, I found myself moving to a ce far from that thing.


    ''Would big brother be okay with this? Or should I move closer?'' I thought to myself as tried to imagine what his response would be if I asked him that question.


    ''Pretty girls should just stay back and do the watching. Let the men handle this.''


    Yup. That would be his response. I scowled at my own imagination. But then, when I turned my eyes to look backwards, I saw an impressive view.


    Hm? Is that... Wow, who knew that from here, I could actually see both big brother Damien, and that fire thingie from here.


    I was at an elevationpared to them. More like, on a higher slope than them. While big brother Damien was even at a lower slope than that thing.


    I don''t know when, but he appeared behind it, and he held the corpse of that demon thing. His hand also covered in green liquid. His hands are dripping with it.


    Did... did he kill it?


    Finally. What a relief.


    One down, one to go. I am d I was not able to see the process. Yet disappointed that I was not able to forge myself into adapting to gore and murder.


    I guess... another time.


    And I doubt killing this thing, would help me with that. It does not even seem fleshy at all, or that it even contains blood within its body.


    I guess I''ll watch for now.


    But just as I had that thought, something chimed within my head that almost scared me to death. But my body did not react, I was getting used to surprises and stuff now.


    TING!!!<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    [ Congrattions for obtaining first blood with your partner. Life Essence obtained will be increased by 100% throughout the whole trials ]


    [ Your partner has killed a Lvl 1 Hammer Fist Demon. You have obtained 15 units of Life Essece ]


    [ Bonus effect has been applied. You and your partner have individually obtained 30 units of Life Essence ]


    "..."


    I was left with no words.


    I know you are tired of my abusive use of "speechless" and "bbergasted". I too. So, I was left with no words.


    But I did love hearing whatever this thing was, call big brother Damien my partner. As it should. Yes. As, it, should.


    Hm?


    A sign?


    I watched big brother Damien sneak a few nces towards that fire thing. I realized that he was looking for an opportunity, but it was not giving him any chance.


    It was really cautious, and paranoid. There was close to 0% chance that he would get an opportunity from it.


    So what would he do now? What should we do? I asked myself, slightly panicking inside. I knew that if we failed here, it was death.


    But there was nothing we could...


    Wait, hold on. There, there is something I could do. Though dangerous, who is not risking their lives for the other right now?


    Yes, no one. So I also have to do it.


    I hyped myself up, clearing out any irrelevant thoughts and emotions. If there is no opportunity, I will make one for him.


    It was time to prove myself to big brother Damien that I was more than just a girl!!


    That I was more than just a princess deserving of her prince charming, to alwayse to her rescue. But I don''t mind him either.


    I was also a woman.


    One aspiring to be HIS woman!!!


    With such thoughts, I was hyped even more and walked out of my hiding spot. A handful of small and medium sized pebbles within my hands.


    I was within an opening, where I was easily spotted by both parties. That thing. And big brother Damien. They all looked up at me.


    Oh wow, the attention is too much. But...


    ''Watch, watch me as I be useful... and do something I''d probably regret if I fail.'' I thought and began throwing the pebbles towards the fire thing.


    I might not be physically strong, but I was a third generational human as well. I was still plenty times stronger than ordinary humans, and some second generational ones as well.


    Thus my pebbles were fast, traveling at almost five hundred miles per hous, and held quite the momentum with it.


    Even as far as I was, they reached the spirit with enough force to deal damage. Unfortunately, it was made up of fire.


    It looked up at me strangely, I was sure of that expression.


    It was confused, and just watched as the pebbles flew towards it from up here, like light rain falling from the sky.


    In the meantime, I begged within my heart, and also prayed. Making sure that my eyes never gazed towards where big brother Damien hid himself.


    Please work.


    Please be distracted.


    Please focus on me, and only me!!


    And it seems that whatever God that exists behind our race, answered my prayers, for I finally saw the fire demon, or whatever it was, gather a ball of mes within its hands.


    Of course I trembled a bit, but that was a given. And I made sure to stay as strong willed as a Buffalo... Moving on.


    The constant shower of pebbles did no damage, as they just flew by past it. But it seems like it was annoyed, as it''s gaze clearly resembled that of an annoyed child.


    YES, finally I got you sucker!!


    Hahahaha.


    I thought in joy as big brother seemed to respond to my job well done. He first briefly nced at me, and let out a smile of disbelief and... pride?


    Meanwhile the fire thingie had yet to notice any of what was going on. It had sessfully fallen into our trap.


    And now, the deciding factor was about to fall upon what big brother Damien would do from now on.


    And indeed, what would he do?

 Chapter 13 Prey, Or Predator

    ?*** Narrative ***


    Right after Damien threw the rock away, which was to act as a decoy, he ran.


    He ran as fast, and as silently as he could. Unleashing all of his potential, crossing tens of meters every second.


    Thus the few seconds the spirit was distracted, he covered over a hundred meters, and arrived behind it. It was also the time the spirit began surveying the soroundings.


    But he did make sure to pick up the demon that he had left alive, or was forced to let live. He was now hiding with it behind arge triangr boulder.


    And he did not waste much time.


    Using his bare hands, knowing that Juliette was not watching, he dug his fingers into the demon''s oval head.


    His monster grip easily tore through its flesh, and he ripped it apart. His hands were covered in green blood, and it was gushing out of the demon''s head in tides.


    But he cared not for it.


    It''s life waspletely drained out of its body. It died. And the next thing that happened, was as he expected.


    [ Congrattions for obtaining first blood with your partner. Life Essence obtained will be increased by 100% throughout the trials ]


    [ You have killed a Lvl 1 Hammer Fist Demon. You have obtained 15 units of Life Essece ]


    [ Bonus effect has been applied. You and your partner have individually obtained 30 units of Life Essence ]


    [ You and your partner have obtained the "First Blood" Epithet ]


    It was the same notification that Juliette recieved due to both being in a partnership. This demon had a lifespan of 300 years, so the Life Essence obtained would be 30 units.


    Divided on both, would be 15 units each. But thanks to the "First Blood" effects, it was 30 units each. It was as good as each killing a Hammer Fist Demon.


    [ Congrattions. You''ve obtained the following resources: Demon Core(Impure/Tier 1), Spear Head(Superior) ]


    [ For defeating a trial opponent, you have obtained the following rewards: Extra Ability(¡Á1), Tier 1 Random Treasure Chest(¡Á1), Demonic Fragment(1/7) ]


    [ Would you like to equip the Ability? ]


    Damien quickly nced through everything. He ignored the final message and bet on whether he had more trials on it. But he knew he did.


    "...Less than a minute left." Damien thought as he peaked out through the corner of the boulder, and tried to find an opening through the spirit''s defense.


    He now had the perfect weapon against it. And, the perfect environment to better use the weapon. The Demon Core. And the Lava.


    All he just needed right now, was time. Which he did not have much off. But he could substitute it for opportunity. Which he was currently looking for, to no avail.


    ''Hm?''


    Then it was at this moment, when Juliette stood up above the boulder she hid in. She had a determined expression on her face. One of a person ready to risk it all.


    It was quite...


    So quite Damien found himself speechless. He was wondering what this girl was thinking now.


    When he suddenly saw her throwing pebbles towards the spirit. At first he did not understand her actions, but momentster, he did.


    She was trying to distract the spirit to give him a chance!! And as things seem, the spirit was clearly distracted by her.


    It gathered fire above its palms and stared up at her in annoyance. Her mission was a sess, and now it was Damien''s time to shine.


    For if he wastes time, Juliette might die.


    ''Whoo~''


    Damien lightly breathed out as he sneakily came out of hiding. He held the demon core strongly within his hand, as he stood at a ce where there were no boulders in between him and the spirit.


    Still distracted, Damien made his move.


    He threw the demon core, like a professional baseball thrower, and made sure it bounced a few times on the floor like skipping stones on theke.


    His throw was faster than Juliette''s, being twice as fast thanks to his greater physique. Thus it generated a small sonic boom.


    And the sound was loud, but so was the demon core''s speed. Hence, even if the spirit was alerted, it should not be able to react in time... right?


    So why, did it react so fast?


    "..."


    "..."


    Why did the spirit turn around before Damien even threw the demon core, and caught it in it''s hands. The force in the demon core slightly pushed it back.


    The spirit managed to stabilize itself, and it stared at him with a mischievous grin.


    While both him, and Juliette were speechless. Appearance wise, they were, but thought wise? ''Oh well, Fuck I guess this means... Goodnight.''<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Damien thought with a smile of provocation. And even more mischief.


    The spirit was child-like, yet not childish.


    That was an important fact everyone had to take in. Just because it was tricked once or twice, did not mean it would let that happen again and again.


    First of all, when Damien threw the rock up, it did not realize what was going on.


    Hence, in it''s state of paranoia, it actually focused on the rock as if it was a very dangerous object.


    Instead of remembering that, even a sword was harmless unless at the hands of a swordsman. It should have never let its eyes move away from Damien.


    At least, not for more than a second.


    But it unfortunately did.


    And once it realized that, the spirit was saddened. It was saddened and cautious. More cautious than it has ever been in its life.


    Hence it surveyed the environment. Searching for any traces of the two creatures that were after its life.


    As it searched, it thought about multiple possibilities and scenarios that they could take against it.


    At first, there were many possibilities. And it did not know where to begin, and which possibility nor scenario to focus on more. Thus, it only thought and thought.


    Until...


    Until one of the creatures appeared above it, and began throwing pebbles at it. At first, it was cautious and very much worried that it was yet another trap.


    But then, it realized that it was not a trap, but another distraction. Just like the first one, the rock thrown by Damien.


    Thus it thought, the feminine creature before it was not the main focus, but a mere distraction. And the masculine creature would be the real attacker.


    Hence with a mischievous smile, the spirit came up with a devious n in its mind. One that, would have the lives of both these two creatures within its palm.


    With that n in mind, it ignored everything and focused on the feminine creature.


    This would give the target the impression that it was focusing on them, while truthfully, it was surveying for any minor movements around it.


    And indeed. As it thought, the masculine creature appeared behind it. The spirit did not react, and still feigned annoyance and ignorance, summoning two fireballs into its palms.


    And the prey fell victim to its schemes.


    As it feigned ignorance, they moved closer and closer. And as they did that, the more the spirit focused on them, ignoring the feminine creature.


    And the more it became more aware of its soroundings. Time felt like it slowed down to it. It could see everything with rity.


    Theing pebbled from above.


    The worried feminine creature before it.


    And the sneaky masculine creature behind it.


    And most importantly, the red glint it saw within the hands of thetter. The spirit felt like that was their hope, their, only, hope.


    Therefore, when that thing, the red glint within the masculine creature''s hands was thrown, it focused on itpletely.


    It saw as the object bounced off the ground to gather more momentum, as it flew through the air like a red bullet at sound speed.


    The spirit could have just dodged the object, and turned around to burn the creature there and then. But it did not.


    The masculine creature was fast.


    Hence if it turned, the prey could run away once again. So instead, the spirit had an even more devious n in mind.


    Shattering their hope.


    Every tiny bit of it.


    It did not turn around to respond to the prey, and just extinguished the fireball within its right hand. And as instantly, reached out to grab the red glinted object.


    Such an action gave out the impression that it was more than aware of the prey''s actions. And that they were useless.


    It slowly turned around to face the masculine creature with a smile. Indeed. It''s n payed off, as the prey slumped their shoulders and sighed in defeat.


    The spiritughed to itself at first, then it''sugh slower grew louder and livelier. At the end, the heat within theva was climbing up.


    The feminine creature stopped throwing her pebbles, and slumped down in defeat. She was terrified, and pale stricken.


    "How...?" She questioned in defeat, as the spirit continued itsughter of triumph.


    While the masculine creature smiled. Yes, he smiled. And not a smile of defeat.


    Wait, what?

 Chapter 14 Boom Goes Your Life

    ?Smiled? The spirit paused.


    "..."


    It then suddenly stoppedughing and slightly frowned. Death was right at their doorstep, yet the prey wasughing? Had they gone crazy?


    Or... was it tricked again?


    It thought, and slowly turned to look at the red glinted object within its hands. Once identified, it was struck with stupor and confusion. And most importantly, realization.


    It''s gaze became nk.


    Time seemed to have stopped flowing.


    "..."


    The spirit recognized the object. It was a demon''s core.


    A source of energy. A pure source of condensed energy that was sensitive to external stimuli. In simple terms, easilybustible.


    And as a demon core, it was more sensitive to fire and heat, and the likes. And the spirit was of a pure fire attribute. It was located within ake ofva.


    "..."


    The more it thought about this, the more it resigned to its fate. Not even a second had yet to pass, yet it was aware of its fate.


    Death.


    As for why it thought as such? Demon cores were the hearts of demons. They contained the souls of the demons.


    Once a demon dies, that soul partially bes pure energy of the element the demon represented. Red here signifying fire, as the Hammer Fist Demon was fire attributed.


    But that was not all.


    To better make it more deadly, it needed kic energy. The particles within, the more they collided with each other, the more power and force they contained.


    It bouncing on the floor, and it''s sonic speed, generated the required energy for the particles to greatly interact. At vast velocity at that.


    Then the spirit''s mes, and the extreme heat triggered due to its excitement, just gave the hyper energetic particles the get go. The permission to...


    Explode.


    BOOOOM!!!


    A sudden explosion kicked up a terrifying cloud of dust, and debris. Time flowed once more, as everything was just too sudden and uncalled for.


    The spirit just exploded out into nothingness.


    Juliette was shocked and speechless. She could not understand a thing that happened. Everything just made no sense at first.


    ''Wha... What?'' She thought, as she stared at the powerful explosion. It shook the boulders that she was standing on, making her lose her bnce.


    Hence no wonder she was surprised.


    ''Where did big brother get that weapon? Is it some future gear or something?'' The young maiden thought, as her nerves calmed down.


    She was happy to have survived a cmity. Anything else would be solved simply by reuniting with Damien. And that was what happened.


    Meanwhile, Damien also sighed in relief as he walked towards the explosion site. The cloud of dust was still slowly settling itself.


    Everything went as perfectly as he had thought. Yes, that was so. Everything, except Juliette''s actions, were ording to his ns.


    She just made them more easier.


    His slow, deliberate actions when confronting the Hammer Fist Demon. His reveal of noteworthy battle awareness and instincts.


    Him showing his worth and threat. His brutality when fighting the demon. They were all to instill the fear, and caution within the nexting target.


    After all, the spirit was long there, within theva, just watching. Damien knew because he was counting the time.


    It only appeared a few seconds after the three minute count down. But nheless, it still had enough time to determine his threat level.


    Then him unleashing his true speed, also made it more cautious and threatened. And when he threw that rock, it was both a signal and a test.


    If the spirit ignored it, then he still needed to imnt more fear into it. But if it reacted to the decoy, just as it did, it meant that his actions were not for naught.


    Even when he came out of hiding. He knew that it was well aware of him. Hence why he just sneaked around, and did not even try to be stealthy.


    How could he fail at assassination, when his mother was a literal professional? The best of the best at that.


    "..."


    And yes. One could say that, either than Juliette, Damien actually knew the next step the spirit would take. It was just dancing on his palm at that point.


    He chuckled to himself and walked away. That was that. And that was over. Now onto the current, anding events.


    Thus he walked towards Juliette.


    While he walked, notifications bombarded his consciousness. Alerting him of yet another easy kill that they had achieved.


    [ Your have killed the Lvl 1 Fireborne Spirit, Norde. You have obtained 15 units of Life Essece ]


    [ Bonus effect has been applied. You and your partner have individually obtained 30 units of Life Essence ]<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Meanwhile, Juliette also received the same notifications, with more to add on. As this was her trial, she obtained the rewards from killing the Fireborne Spirit.


    [ Your partner has killed the Lvl 1 Fireborn Spirit, Norde. You have obtained 15 units of Life Essece ]


    [ Bonus effect has been applied. You and your partner have individually obtained 30 units of Life Essence ]


    [ Congrattions. You''ve obtained the following resources: Spirit Shard(Impure/Tier 1), Bracelet of Norde(Superior) ]


    [ For defeating a trial opponent, you have obtained the following rewards: Extra Ability(¡Á1), Tier 1 Random Treasure Chest(¡Á1), Spirit Fragment(1/4) ]


    [ Would you like to equip the Ability? ]


    Juliette was surprised by the newly arrived information, and did not recklessly ept. She first jumped off the boulder, and rushed towards Damien.


    Meanwhile, Damien watched the site of explosion. There was no sign of a spirit, or it''s remains here.


    Nor was there avake anymore.


    There was just a five meter deep, ten meter wide gouge left. He stared at it for a while and sighed. Only a couple of seconds till another opponent arrives.


    But before that, "Big brother Damien, something has urred. Look, look." The youthful Juliette ran besides him, and tried to show him her notifications.


    Of course, such an action was impossible for the current her, but Damien knew what she wanted to show him. And he became thoughtful.


    Juliette of the future had a few Extra Abilities, which helped her a lot. And they became her defining feature at the early stages.


    Thus, he could let her take this Ability. And the moreing. It would also make theing battles more easier for them.


    But then again, Unique Abilities were better. They gave the user an edge at the early stages, and then even at the middle stages.


    They were literally cheat codes. Plus, Juliette of the future failed to match up to the real ''genuises'' back then, due to herck of a Unique Ability.


    But now, he would make that different.


    Since he was aiming for an exclusive ss for her, then she just had to have a Unique Ability to better make her stand out.


    "Don''t ept yet. Don''t, until I say so." He ultimately said as such, as he smiled and patted her head. "And good job. You helped a lot." Not bring stingy with his praises.


    "..."


    Juliette bloomed at his praise, as her cheeks were a shade pink. She blushed. She even stared down with a silly smile of pure joy.


    Damien subconsciously smiled at her reaction. This was the Juliette he desired. Not the cold, godlike beauty she ended up bing in the future.


    And he will make sure, to keep it like this.


    "Level Up." Damien then suddenly spoke up out of the blue. Juliette looked up at him strangely, but did not question him.


    There were five levels, from level one, to Level five, that defined Civilians. Of course, the level up had Stat increase effects, and body nourishment effects.


    It was just that, without a ss, every level up only enhanced one''s overall being by ten percent. That included Intelligence, Wisdom and thest stat, Affinity.


    Strength, Agility and Endurance were the basic stats of every living being. Of course, every living being except those who are born supernatural and mythical creatures.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ Congrattions, you are a level 1 Combatant now. As the first to Level up, you obtained the enhancement of quintiple the Stat enhancement ]


    "Oh? How amusing." Damien thought aloud, as he mentally summoned his interface. Now that he leveled up once, he could finally see it.


    But it was probably pitiful.


    As for the effects of that statement, it meant that he would have his stats increase by fifty percent just by leveling up once. That... was actually terrifying.


    Ordinarily, it boosted one''s stats by ten percent. That was still amazing in, and of itself.


    Imagine having strength worth 100 kilograms. By the time you became level 5, you eould have strength worth over 160 kilograms.


    Yet if the effects were fifty percent, by level 5, the person would have almost a ton worth of strength. Almost nine times their initial strength.


    The difference was like day and night.


    [ Name: Damien Gray ]


    [ Epithet(1): First Blood(Grand) ]


    [ ss: Lvl 1 ssless (0/20) ]


    [ Sub-ss: None ]


    [Alignment: Unknown ]


    [ Stats: STR - 9,8 || AGI - 1,0 || END - 15,0 ]


    [ Abilities: None ]


    [ Equipment: Spear Head(Superior) ]


    [ Resources: Tier 1 Treasure Chest(¡Á1), Demon Fragment(1/7) ]

 Chapter 15 Level Up

    ?As expected. It was pitiful. Not as magnificent as hest saw it, but he was notining. This was still the beginning after all.


    His strength was 6,6.


    It had to be known, 0,1 was the average number here. And even then, that represented half a ton of strength. Crazy.


    Modern humans had below average strength for this world, but second and third generational humans surpassed the norm.


    The former had a ton of strength, thus 0,2 points on strength initially. And thetter had ten tons of strength, hence 2,0 points on strength. Qualitative difference between the two.


    Then there was Damien, who could lift up an oak tree with his bare strength alone. Of course, even he found that a tiny bit difficult, but not impossible.


    He had the strength worth almost thirty five tons. Approximately thirty three tons of strength. Which was 6,6 points on strength.


    With the 50% added effects, his strength became almost fifty tons.


    Leaving to the 9,8 points on his strength. This was enough for him to dog walk even an Apprentice. There was no need for him to Level up any more.


    As for speed. 0,1 was also an average, representing 10 meters per second. Him having 1,0 meant that he could traverse a hundred meters per second (225 mph).


    Over eight times the fastest human athlete of the modern Era. Of course without the gic modification or biotechnological enhancements.


    Andstly, Endurance meant the amount of damage he could take. It was like strength, but for damage taken instead.


    His 15,0 points meant that he could take damage worth seventy five tons and survive. Yeah, bashing him with rocks and the likes, meant nothing to him.


    ''This is all thanks to the level up boost though.'' Damien thought. Brushing off the fact that even then, fifty tons of defense was still inhumane.


    Let alone the feat of crossing over fifty meters every second. He, himself was just a monster.


    He checked the Life Essence requirements, and realized everything was still the same. Thus with his currently still 50 Life Essence units, he did notmand the interface to use it all up.


    "Let''s save this up forst. Or when I''m truly desperate." He said. He was prideful. Especially so, when he still had the mentality of the Damien of the future.


    Boosting himself any longer, and he''d just be overestimating his opponents.


    And they weren''t worth it.


    He brushed off those thoughts. And any other irrelevant thoughtsing to mind. Time was of the essence.


    Any second now, the next opponent might arrive. So, he had to make it quick.


    "Hurry up. Go ahead and level up. Max level yourself if you can." Damien said, as he held Juliette''s hand and said within his thoughts, ''I wish to transfer my obtained Life Essence to her.''


    [ Are you sure? ]


    The interface appeared, and verified his thoughts. Damien nodded.


    [ ... ]


    Meanwhile, Juliette was already waiting for this moment. When Damien suddenly muttured out, "Level Up", she knew that it was something she had to do as well.


    She just needed a go ahead from him.


    And she finally got it.


    With that, she smiled happily. Expectant of how it would feel to ''Level Up''. She knew that it was a form of, or sort of upgrade or purification of sorts.


    Hence she was looking forward to it.


    "Level Up." She said, and instantly added after remembering his words, "To the Max. Level Up to the maximum."


    He did say that she was to max level herself. And as a good girl, she was going to listen to his every word obediently.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ Congrattions, you are a level 1 Combatant now. As the second to Level up, you obtained the enhancement of quadruple the Stat enhancement ]


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ You have leveled up ]


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ You have leveled up ]


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ Your partner wishes to transfer their acquired Life Essence to you. Do you ept? ]


    "..."


    Juliette was shocked, and surprised. But also a bit suspicious. She first looked up at Damien for verification, and he nodded gently at her.


    His gaze looking up.


    The environment was already changing. They suddenly appeared within the sky, them standing upon a huge, soft cloud. It gave out the impression of being empty.


    It was as if they stood on nothingness.


    And when she looked up, she saw a being she did not know how to feel upon seeing. It was beautiful, yet at the same time, deadly.


    "...Yes. I do." And instead of wondering what that thing was, she responded as such.


    Those words sounded strange. They gave her butterflies within her stomach, but she did not think much about it at the moment.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ You have obtained 50 units of Life Essence from your partner ]


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ You have leveled up ]<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Juliette finally sighed in relief. But before she could also look up and better appraise the new enemy, another notification, silent this time, appeared within her mind.


    [ Name: Juliette Silver ]


    [ Epithet(1): First Blood(Grand) ]


    [ ss: Lvl 4 ssless ]


    [ Sub-ss: None ]


    [Alignment: None ]


    [ Stats: STR - 9,2 || AGI - 1,15 || END - 8,8 ]


    [ Abilities: None ]


    [ Equipment: Bracelet of Norde(Superior) ]


    [ Resources(3): Tier 1 Random Treasure Chest, Spirit Fragment(1/4), Tier 1 Spirit Shard(Impure) ]


    "..."


    Juliette was amazed by what she saw. She has never seen anything like this her entire life. And she was excited upon seeing it now for the first time.


    It was normal.


    Unfortunately, there was a lot she was unaware off. Hence she could not delve much deeper into this interface thing.


    But she knew Damien knew something about it. And they would have enough time to discuss it once they are outside.


    For now, she just wanted to let out the vibrant energy coursing within her, out. She felt her strength increase, and wanted to know how strong she was.


    And whether... she could now be of use!!


    With that in mind, she gazed up. It was finally time to appreciate the beauty, and extraordinariness of the creature above them.


    "..."


    Unfortunately for her, no matter how much she set her eyes upon it, she was still surprised. Nobody could me her though.


    The figure above them was humanoid. And yes, feminine. Hence why it was extremely beautiful, both in figure and shape.


    It had white vibrant wings spread out behind it. Making it seem majestic and holy.


    Yet it''s attire was gothic, and quite... revealing. If you were curious, it was a short dress. Short as in, barely covering half her thighs.


    From behind, it seemed as if it was almost, just almost about to reveal her rear. But it was useless, for her inner wear was already revealed.


    Being ck in color.


    The top was sleeveless, and revealed a bit of its abundant chest. The cleavage, was a bit too improper in Juliette''s perspective.


    All in all, Juliette only had one thought for this extremely beautiful existence. She was not even fearful, unlike when she faced the previous two opponents.


    She was actually disdainful.


    Her thoughts revealing her attitude, ''What a b*tch.'' She thought. She sneaked a nce at Damien, who was looking up all this while.


    But his expression was null.


    In fact, it was a bit cold, and predatory.


    The same one he gave the demon when it was at itsst breathe. Juliette slightly smiled at him, but tried her best to hide it. Damien was still my man. She thought.


    Meanwhile, "An angel." Damien muttured. It was an angel. And like other low ranked angels, it had a full-over face mask that had no expression of decoration.


    It was one feature Juliette subconsciously ignored due to her jealousy.


    The angel''s mask was purely white. It''s hair was blonde, and skin a bit pale white. Beauty aside, it resembled a goddess as it stood above them and gazed down.


    A single spear in its hand.


    "..."


    Juliette did notment at Damien''s words. For once, she was looking forward to killing someone. Or something.


    Whatever it identified as.


    "Stay here." Damien whispered. And she nodded. He was already walking towards the angel with steady, rxed steps. Fearless and prideful.


    But as he continued walking, he slowly began to pick up pace. And not long, he was already running towards it.


    The angel was around ten meters above the cloud. And it was not something Damien could not reach. He could reach such height if he really put his all into it.


    And he desired to do just that.


    As for the spear? What did it amount to, infront of his defenses? Yeah. Nothing.


    Thus he sprinted forward.


    But the angel was not stupid either. It spun the spear in its right hand, and held it like a javelin. And without hesitation, threw it towards him like a bolt of lightning.


    "..."


    Damien slightly frowned at its actions. But he was clearly experienced, and also knew that angels were quite sneaky and schemeful.


    Just because they are virtuous, did not mean they were not sly. In fact, these creatures were the slyest, and one of the most ruthless creatures to exist.


    So... he dodged.

 Chapter 16 Fighting An Angel

    ?He stopped in his steps, and threw himself aside. This opened up enough space for the spear to sh past him, tearing through the wind.


    But what he did not take into ount was the ability of the angel. After all, he never fought it during his trials, hence it was a new experience for him too.


    All angels he fought, were full-bred angels, at the Third League, with multiple Abilities and immense Holy power. Not... this.


    Woosh~


    Just as he dodged, and the spear was about to hit the ground, the angel appeared besides it.


    No!!


    It reced the spear. It shifted its position with that of the spear, and appeared where the spear previously stood. And it had long folded its fist.


    ...!!!


    Damien was caught off guard.


    And Juliette was beyond shocked.


    "..."


    And the angel ignored all of that. It just punched out. Pure. And simple.


    No fancy moves, or fancy words. Just a straight forward, full powered punch. No technique whatsoever, only pure brute force.


    Bang!!


    *** Juliette Silver ***


    I watched as big brother Damien moved away from me. For once, I did not feel abandoned. I actually felt excited, and expectant.


    I think I was getting used to this. I was no longer being ''shocked and fearful'', but just being ''shocked''. There''s a difference between the two.


    The former meant that I was shocked, yet also afraid. And thetter meant that I had conquered my fear. Slightly.


    Anyway...


    Big brother walked forward step by step. Each step was steady and powerful. Like that of a king. A man who knew his worth. A lion fearless of its enemies.


    Then secondster, I found to my amazement that he was hurrying. And soon, he was sprinting towards the angel at full speed.


    "..."


    I... I could actually follow his movements. In fact, I felt like he was not as fast as he used to be. Or maybe he was holding back? I didn''t know at that point.


    Nor did that matter.


    Because even if he was holding back, I would not be able to read his movements even then. But I could now. It means I grew stronger. And more perceptive.


    Or so... I thought.


    The angel though, did not back off at his mighty charge. Instead, like a predator as well, it prepared itself and retaliated.


    It spun its spear within its hand, and aimed it carefully at big brother Damien. It''s posture professional, and fearless. Like a lioness ready to pounce on its target.


    Thus, without hesitation, it threw it towards him like a bolt of lightning.


    It was fast.


    But not fast enough.


    I could read its movement. My eyes dted as I watched the spear carefully. If I could do this, then big brother could do even better!!


    And indeed, he easily side stepped the iing spear as easily as dodging a child''s attack. But what came next, was what shocked both of us.


    And also, what made me reconsider my evaluation of what being fast meant.


    ...!!!


    I saw to not only my shock, but also big brother''s shock, the angel appearing besides him. It appeared like a ghost materializing itself infront of its victim.


    Instantly.


    And silently.


    We were both caught off guard.


    And as I continued to carefully appraise, mid my shock, I was able to verify that... I waspletely slow. I failed to read through such speed.


    "..."


    As for the angel, it ignored our shock and casually threw a fast punch towards big brother''s face.


    Bang!!


    The impact was quite loud. It was like two carriages colliding into each other at quite the speed. Yet I was not worried. Nor bothered.


    Yes. I was shocked.


    But not worried. I knew my Damien could do much better than that. I knew he could take such little damage no problem. I knew he was more than that.


    "Hmph."


    And indeed.


    He only scoffed at the punch as he smiled. His face did not even move a single inch back. The fist was just imnted on his face, and was stuck there.


    It was as if it hit a wall, and not a human.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The angel tilted its head sideways. An action I deemed as an act of showing its confusion.


    But big brother did not mind that. He hurriedly folded his fist and sent a punch towards the angel. It was packed with all his strength.


    I could even see veins popping out along his arm. Unfortunately for him, the angel vanished again, avoiding a deadly attack that could have ended this sooner.


    What reced it was the spear that it threw before. Floating perfectly where it used to be. It was easily broken in half through his dauntless mighty strength.


    Even steel fell to his strength!!!


    Hm?


    Wait... I get it now.


    I slightly frowned as I finally understood that the angel was not fast. It was like an epiphany of sorts. It was not fast, but was using some sort of Ability to switch positions with objects.


    Amazing.


    I thought. Such an Ability was even more impressive and deadly than the previous two. ording to my perception though.


    There was a lot I could think about, pertaining the use of such an Ability. For example-¨C


    "Hmm."


    Hm?


    Big brother''s hum got me out of my thoughts. I looked up at him and saw him pick up the two spear pieces off the ground, then weigh them in his hand.


    A momentter, he threw them towards me and said, "Hold on to that. You are the only target that it can switch positions with now. So be on your toes."


    "..."


    My heart suddenly increased its rate.


    I felt like a heavy burden was ced onto my shoulders. But I still listened nheless, and took hold of the spear pieces with conviction in my heart.


    My nerves were also stretched out. I believed I could react to any possible situation that could urr right now. I was ready for anything.


    The angel suddenly gazed down at me.


    It was located back at its initial point. And it looking down at me with that mask, gave me chills down my spine. I slightly trembled.


    But... but I was not afraid.


    I was just unnerved.


    "Come on. Shifting?" Big brother Damien looked up and said. He then beganughing out loud.


    His voice finally got me to stop trembling. My focus was now on his voice, and not the angel''s gaze. "If it was a Unique or Ultimate Ability, it would actually be overpowered."


    "But as an Extra Ability? At most, little one, you can shift thrice or five times. Hell five times is if you really maxed out the Ability." He smirked and looked up, then continued.


    "And you probably have not maxed it out yet. Hell you never will. Unless, the trials would be unfair to us. Now... you only have one chance left. You ought to use it carefully because..."


    He paused, and chuckled. His chuckle was cold and heinous. His predatory gaze was also directed at the angel as he added on, "...If you don''t, I''ll literally tear you limb to limb, and grind your bones to dust."


    "..."


    The angel did notment.


    It only pped its wings and looked down towards my direction. This time though, I was ready. So I gave it a fearless re of a youngdy.


    One that contained all my emotions in regards to its beauty, and clothing. I gave it all my hate-filled re, of course, with a hint of jealousy too.


    "..."


    It seems my gaze worked wonders. For the angel turned its eyes back to big brother Damien and spread out it''s wings.


    He smiled in response, and prepared to sprint again. And to sprint, he did.


    He kicked off the cloudy floor and burst off at insane speed. Yet I could still read his movements.


    The angel also did a powerful push of its wings, and sent itself propelling towards him. It was also fast. Not as exaggerated as big brother, but fast nheless.


    Two ck blurs rushed towards each other. And I could see it clearly even now. Maybe I''m mentioning that a bit too much, am I?


    It''s overexcitement.


    I can''t help it.


    Bang!!


    My attention was brought back by yet another collusion. The world seems to be against me and my thoughts. How strange.


    And like all the other test of strength that big brother Damien had, he easily won this one too.


    The angel''s arm was forcefully pushed back. It''s fist was shattered, and it''s arm bones as well. Reduced to flesh and broken bones.


    And by force at that.


    And I mean that it''s arm was broken by force due to its weaker strength. While the momentum sent it tumbling back like a ragged doll.


    I was hyped. And on my toes as I watched it roll across the soft cloud. It''s appearance unsightly and pitiful.


    But big brother Damien did not seem to care. He immediately pounced on it and threw yet another punch at it. His posture was like a tiger pouncing on its prey.

 Chapter 17 Sly Angel~

    ?And instead of outstretched ws, he had a powerful fist packed up behind him. One capable of ending life.


    But the angel was quick on its Wits.


    It immediately rolled back and avoided being pinned down. It knew that such an action signified immediate death.


    Big brother missed his target, and his fist easily tore through the soft, air-like clouds.


    Yet he was not bothered. And he was still faster. He immediately fixed his posture after he missed his target. And he fixed it by throwing yet another punch at the angel.


    This was an important moment!!


    I felt like time took a rest.


    Everything flowed ever so slowly. I immediately ducked, and crouched down. It was an instinctive response from both my body and mind.


    I don''t know why I dodged though. My instincts and intuition were far before me, as I moved without processing every movement.


    And the moment I crouched down, was the exact moment that big brother''s fist was a few inches away from striking the angel.


    Ah~ Now I see.


    I understood my actions.


    It was to avoid the Ability of the angel. For even if it switched positions with me, I would still be free from big brother''s fist. It made sense now.


    My intuition was actually in resonance with whatever movement big brother made.


    Such a feat was beyond my imagination.


    Bang!!


    Yet what was even more beyond my imagination was the angel. It actually... it actually took the punch directly?


    ???


    Not only was I surprised. But it seems like big brother Damien was also surprised. Maybe he also did not expect that it would actually risk its life to take that attack.


    Head on. Directly.


    "..."


    "..."


    Both of us stared as the angel was sent back flying tens of meters, grinding along the soft cloud. We stared in our stupor and shock.


    I was even out of ce with my crouching down as if taking cover from a bomb explosion.


    But that did not matter. Embarrassment aside, I was actually impressed.


    No, like really. I was actually impressed.


    The angel had folded both arms, the broken and the perfect arm before its chest, and took the blunt damage from big brother''s fist.


    It used the damage arm to take most of the damage, hence the other arm was still perfectly fine. If not a bit strained and bruised, but fine nheless.


    I just did not expect that. Nor understand why? Because what if he used his full strength? It would have died on the spot.


    Unless, did... did it actually forsee me avoiding the attack, if we did switch positions? Did it take the attack knowing that he would not use his full strength in case it switched positions with me?


    Did it actually understand that, big brother''s exposure of its ability was also to warn me to be prepared to dodge at anytime?


    Was... was this angel actually that intelligent? I slightly trembled as at this moment, we exchanged gazes!!


    ...!!!


    I was horrified. This thing was TOO intelligent. This battle was no more about human against monster. It was far from that.


    "..."


    My senses tingled as I exchanged res with it. My thoughts went on an overdrive as I tried to think of a way to deal with this situation.


    But... "Hahaha." Suddenly, I was roused by the valiant, and unrestrainedughter of a certain daredevil I liked.


    I looked up at him, my thoughts temporarilying to a halt. And when I saw his face, no, his eyes, I knew.


    I immediately knew that he was out for murder. And everytime his eyes were so hungry for blood, the battle immediately ended secondster.


    The demon.


    The spirit.


    And I was sure the angel was no exception. I subconsciously smiled as I prepared to wee the finale of this battle.


    So what if it was a bit smart? I smiled. I was not aware, but my smile was a bit like his. The smile of a daredevil. The smile of a do or die. The smile of a crazy woman.


    So I ask again, what if it was smart? What did it have against pure might? Or against two equally intelligent opponents?


    "Your life has reached its climax. Right now, it''s either you dodged, or... you die?" He said, smiling even more devilishly. He was handsome.


    He also said it out loud, kicking off the ground and charging towards the angel. It hurriedly flipped its wings and flew up.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    But he was not bothered.


    With his gathered momentum, he pushed himself off the ground like an eagle. He easily crossed tens of meters and caught up to its legs.


    "..."


    The angel looked down on him and attempted to kick at him. But big brother easily used his strength and weight to drag it, and throw it towards the surface.


    The angel of course easily used its wings before it hit the ground and stabilized itself mid flight. But by that time, big brother hadnded, and was about to jump up at it again.


    ...!!!


    Now cautious, the angel hurriedly flew even higher than before. Making sure it was fifty meters above ground at most.


    "..."


    It floated there with its broken arm and stared down at us. I also stared back at it. But big brother Damien did not.


    He only watched the environment and smiled to himself. I didn''t know what he was thinking about, but I turned my eyes off the enemy and looked at him.


    I was mesmerized by his smile once again. I froze on the spot and subconsciously stared at him. He stated back at me and kept his smile, slightly warning me, "Careful."


    I smiled back and chuckled at his casualment, "I guess it failed." Yes. I failed to trick the opponent. This angel really was smart.


    It easily knew that I was not really mesmerized at all. And it was not my acting''s fault. My acting was quite descent you know.


    "Well, it can''t stay there for long though." Big brothermented with a smile. And indeed, the angel was slowly descending every second.


    "The Primordial Source would not allow such a thing to ur. Hiding was a given, and running away too. But tantly avoiding a fight like this was a no go."


    He exined to me and I nodded. The Primordial Source, so that was what the thing that put us here called? I thought to myself.


    He then added casually, "It will lower its height until a level where I would be able to battle it. Or barely reach up to."


    "I see." I looked up.


    Hm?


    I saw that the angel had plucked one feather from its wings. The feather was white and beautiful, but the lower part was pointy and quite sharp.


    It could actually be used as a weapon.


    The bottom was like a long needle.


    "..."


    The angel stared down at us once again. It first stared down at big brother Damien, then at me. The distance between us was quite long, at most over a hundred meters.


    But the distance between me and it was just around a hundred meters. Yet it knew that big brother would still be able to arrive here faster if they both raced at it.


    Hence, it did not charge.


    Instead, it threw the needle-like feather towards me. And to be honest, it was fast. But I was able to easily avoid it by push myself backwards.


    That way, I was able to avoid the attack, while also being able to better respond to any follow up attacks. Such as switching positions.


    After all, I have yet to forget the Ability of this angel. Shifting.


    The needle feather struck the cloud and sank deep into it. I gazed up at the angel and smiled defiantly at it. ''Didn''t expect that now, did ya?'' I thought with a smug expression.


    Yet a momentter, I suddenly felt my intuition kick up. And for once, my brain did not match up with my intuition and respond to whatever danger I was feeling.


    ...!!!


    Because... I suddenly felt airy. Like there was nothing holding me up anymore. No solid ground. No bnce.


    I found myself forty or so meters above ground. The angel was still that high after all. And it chose, to switch positions with not the needle feather.


    But, me.


    "..."


    Realizing that, my brain froze.


    My thoughts froze.


    My entire being froze.


    I could only watch the soft cloud getting closer and closer to my face. While I hugged the two broken spear pieces in my bossom. I could barely scream even.


    And by the time I was about to hit the clouds, I hurriedly closed my eyes and braced for impact. There was nothing else I could have done.


    But the expected pain did not arrive.


    At first, I thought the clouds were not that painful. They were clouds, and also airy when you step upon them.


    So maybe falling on them was likewise an airy feeling as well? I thought to myself.


    But when I opened my eyes, I was graced with big brother Damien''s smile. He smiled even brighter when he saw me open my eyes.

 Chapter 18 Plans

    ?I think we are bit too close, but I would not mind being even closer than we currently are. I blinked my eyes in confusion, lost in his.


    "With that gaze, you''re definitely alright." He said and gentlyy me down. A momentter he stood up and casually walked towards the angel.


    "..."


    I was still a bit nk minded, and just absently stared at his back. I felt the feelings of loss when he put me down.


    Anyway, he was going to finally kill the wretched angel. I thought after a moment.


    But...


    A momentter, I realized that the same ''wretched'' angel, was actually staring down at its chest. Or to be precise, the hole on its chest.


    "..."


    "..."


    Not only it, I was also surprised.


    When did that happen?


    I thought. My eyes hurriedly shifting towards big brother Damien who was walking casually towards the angel.


    Did... did he actually..?


    Oh wow. My Damien is actually so heroic. My prince charming yed a demon, a spirit, and now an angel. All for me.


    "..."


    Ah, Ahem... I should have some shame.


    *** Narrative ***


    A few moments back, when the angel plucked out it''s feather. Damien already knew what it was nning to do with it.


    "..."


    He did notment, nor do anything.


    Throughout the battle, the amount of times the angel set its gaze on Juliette was a lot. And from experience, Damien knew that it was trying to verify her threat level.


    Juliette might have subconsciously known this, as she did not even try to make herself seem ''useful'' at all. This gave out the impression that she was weak.


    And the fact that she just stood at the back, and only listened to Damien, further proved that statement correct.


    Hence the best choice, was to attack Juliette. Damien knew that was what the angel thought,when he put himself in its shoes.


    Him using his full strength at the beginning, was an act to try and push it to the edge.


    And once there, it only had two options left to save its life.


    One, it either attacks Juliette when Damien was far away from her. Or two, it finds an opportunity to use its ability to deal great damage to him.


    And thetter was impossible.


    He made sure to make it seem so. Thus it was forced to attack Juliette. And once again, there were two attacks it could only use.


    One, it could use a weapon, like the feather it just plucked out, to throw towards Juliette then switch with it. Next, would be to assassinate her.


    But Damien had a n. If it did that, he would immediately throw the spear head he obtained from the demon at it. He already had it on hand, and ready any time.


    Or it could choose option two. The same one that required it to shift positions with Juliette, leaving her stranded mid air.


    As for how he would respond? Damien was still going to use the spear head as an attack, but in this case, he would throw it towards Juliette before the shifting took ce.


    Hence when it does, the spear will instantly piece through the angel, immediately after it reced Juliette on her position.


    While he, would dash towards her rescue.


    "..."


    The n was perfect. And the most important question now, was how would he know which one was it? How would he tell the difference?


    Simple, really.


    ''If it desired to assassinate her directly, the needle would be thrown not too far away from Juliette. And directly not at her.''


    ''But if it desired to shift positions with her, the needle would be thrown randomly as a form of confusion. And the most usible one, would be towards her, forcing her to dodge.''


    ''That way, the moment she dodges, open ups a chance for the angel to shift positions with her. Juliette would not he able to respond, and I would be forced to rush to her rescue.''


    ''Meanwhile, it will n to backstab me. This thing is smart after all, and would try to outsmart us. Unfortunately for it, I''ve been through far too much, and could see through it like a book.''


    Damien thought as he walked towards the angel.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    It finally looked up at him. Then slowly knelt down in defeat, and fell face t. Damien had no change of expression whatsoever and just stood before it.


    Momentster,


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ You have killed the Lvl 2 Gray Marked Angel. You have obtained 16,5 units of Life Essece ]


    [ Due to being a single level lower, your Life Essence has increased by ten percent ]


    [ You have obtained 36,3 (36) units of Life Essence. Your partner has obtained 33 units of Life Essence. The bonus effect has already been applied ]


    [ Congrattions. You''ve obtained the following resources: Angel Halo(Broken/Tier 1), Gray Mask(Superior) ]


    [ For defeating a trial opponent, you have obtained the following rewards: Extra Ability(¡Á1), Tier 1 Random Treasure Chest(¡Á1), Angel Fragment(1/7) ]


    "..."


    Not only after the notifications did Damien sigh in relief. He then crouched down and began plucking out the feathers of the angel one by one.


    Out of all wings, less than a hundred managed to be needle-like. This angel was still not a pure bred angel at the Third League, after all.


    Hence this was normal. Ordinary legendary creatures have about 50% of their bodies as natural resources. Especially ones like demons and angels and especially half gods.


    And he was d about the level difference. His decision of staying at a lower level helped.


    He still remembered that, every level an opponent is higher, the Life Essence obtained would be ten percent higher as well.


    But every level lower, the Life Essence was not affected. And mind you, this affected mortals only, and only up to five levels.


    For every Rank had five levels, and every rank higher or lower, the Life Essence obtained would either decrease in half, or double respectively.


    Take the current him for example. He obtained ten percent more Life Essence due to being a level lower than the angel. Yet Juliette did not get any reduction despite being two levels higher.


    Now, if Damien fought an Apprentice Ranked opponent, he would recieve double the Life Essence. And if he was an Apprentice Rank, and fought a Civilian, the Life Essence obtained would be halfed.


    But there were more to this, than just that. Damien will have to uncover them from his memories as time goes by. Because for now,


    "We have only a couple of seconds left again, you should level up." He said, feeling Juliette moving closer towards him from behind.


    She arrived besides him, "It''s, not enough." And meekly responded.


    Damien slightly paused his actions, then transfered all of his Life Essence towards her again.


    He still did not feel the need to Level up yet. Even against the angel, he still did not let out 100% of his full strength. But he did not hold back either.


    "..."


    Juliette did notment and only leveled up once more. With both their Life Essence, she had 69 units in total. And to be a level 5, she required 50 units.


    "Done." She said.


    "How much to Level up again?" He asked casually, packing the feathers besides himself. While also slightly using one needle to twinkle with the halo.


    It was shining a bit too chaotically right now, and gave out the impression that it could explode at any moment.


    As for the amount of Life Essece, he had forgotten. It was long since he entertained the lower levels due to his power back then.


    "Uhm, 70 units." Juliette responded after checking her status. Damien nodded. He knew that after a moment, she would be level six.


    And could finally cultivate mana and be an Apprentice. She could also gain more enhancement to her strength, and be better developed.


    "Hey."


    Damien whispered lightly. His hands did not stop tinkering with the angel halo. It now gave off threatening pressure. And a dangerous presence.


    "Hm?" Juliette responded.


    Damien paused his actions, and stared up at her. He was still kneeling down besides the angel''s corpse. And Juliette was standing up behind him.


    Hence she had the rare opportunity to look down upon him. It felt nice staring at his charm from a high stand point.


    "After the next threat, there will be three minutes of time before the next after that. I am sure you already realized that." Juliette nodded, and Damien continued.


    "So, in other words, we would have three minutes all to ourselves." Juliette once again nodded, signifying that she understood.


    "Enough time for you to gain a hint of Mana. And enough for us to discuss our next steps." Damien concluded and stood up.


    Besides his foot, there was a bundle of needle feather lined up neatly. While he held a mask on his hand, and the angel halo on the other.


    "Hm." She nodded, not asking much about what Mana was. He added, "You''ll be able to help even more at that point."

 Chapter 19 Four Down

    ?Juliette once again nodded obediently. Damien smiled and gently rubbed her head. "Which is why, I want to ask you. Would you prefer us going two on one against these fes."


    "Or... would you want to test your own strength as well?" He said, slowly and calmly.


    The angel was his opponent. Hence he had defeated two trials so far. And he was still not aware of his limit.


    Then there was Juliette, who still had two more trials to partake in. In short, even if he pit himself around her level, and say that he had a total of three trials, they still had three opponents to fight.


    Minus one


    The nexting trial in a few seconds could be ignored. Hence, there were two more opponents. At minimum at that.


    Plus, Juliette also required to mature,bat wise. So he proposed, looking forward to her thoughts, and what she preferred.


    "You... you want my opinion?" Juliette confirmed as she looked at Damien with bright eyes. They were shining with joy and happiness. This was husband material. She thought.


    "Who else''s?" Damien clicked his tongue at her. But Juliette did not mind. She only responded to his question. "I think I am ready to fight an opponent by myself."


    "Alright." Damien nodded. ''Think? How cute.'' Je thought, not saying it out loud.


    At this moment, wind suddenly picked up from all directions. And it was gathering towards one singr point.


    Above them.


    The wind gathered in tides, forming a small tornado. Then momentster, the small tornado shrunk until it was around a meter in diameter.


    The tornado was now spherical in shape. The wind circting around it being quite powerful. Capable of forcefully bending trees.


    Then out of the spherical tornado, a child-like humanoid being formed of nothing but wind appeared.


    It was simr to the fire spirit, but with a rageful expression instead. But it was nheless cute, and extremely adorable.


    Unfortunately for it...


    "..."


    The moment it appeared, Damien hurled the angel halo within his hand towards it. It shed like a golden light at sonic speed.


    It''s instinctive response was to trap the halo within a wind ball before it could reach it. That was a normal, and clever response from its side. Especially considering it''s age as well.


    If, the angel halo was not tinkered with.


    BOOOM!!!


    The moment the angel halo was bombarded with the intense winds, it immediately triggered itself into a premature explosion.


    And maybe thanks to the wind, the explosive power spread out even more. Even Damien did not expect this destruction.


    [ TING!!! ]


    A notification then chimed within their consciousness momentster. Both Damien and Juliette stared up in silence.


    "..."


    "..."


    Damien did of course intend to do this. He just did not expect the opponent to be a wind spirit, and to make things even easier for him.


    The time of appearance and death were almost instantaneously. It just appeared, and died. Fast and swift.


    Just like that.


    [ You have killed the Lvl 2 Windborne Spirit, Sarrd. You have obtained 16,5 units of Life Essece ]


    [ Due to being a level lower than your opponent, Life Essence obtained has increased by ten percent ]


    [ Bonus effect has been applied. You have individually obtained 36,3 (36) units of Life Essence. Your partner has obtained 33 units of Life Essence ]


    Juliette also received the same notifications. But more this time, as this was her trial and not Damien''s.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ You have killed the Lvl 2 Windborne Spirit, Sarrd. You have obtained 16,5 units of Life Essece ]


    [ Bonus effect has been applied. You have individually obtained 33 units of Life Essence. Your partner has obtained 36 units of Life Essence ]


    [ Congrattions. You''ve obtained the following resources: Spirit Shard(Impure/Tier 1), Bracelet of Sarrd(Superior) ]


    [ For defeating a trial opponent, you have obtained the following rewards: Extra Ability(¡Á1), Tier 1 Random Treasure Chest(¡Á1), Spirit Fragment(1/4) ]


    Both were still in a daze. Especially Juliette, who did not expect one of their battles to be so easy and free flowing.


    [ Your partner has shared their obtained Life Essence with you. Do you ept? ]


    Such a notification pulled her out of her daze. She hurriedly epted, then leveled up. She now had 19 units from before, plus the extra 69 units from right now.


    A total of 88 units of Life Essence.


    Enough to Level up!!<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    And to Level up, she did.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ You have leveled up ]


    [ Congrattions for bing the first ever Civilian to reach the peak of mortality. You have been awarded with 100 units of Life Essence, 1 free Stat Point and 1 free Ability Point ]


    [ Note: The Stat point can be distributed evenly among your base stats. Ability points can be used to Level up Abilities, and possibly, evolve them to the next level ]


    [ From here on forth, every level up increases all attributes by 0,1 Stat Points. With a ss, the distribution might differ ]


    [ You have obtained the Grand Title: "Pioneer of Mana" ]


    [ Pioneer of Mana (GRAND) :- Increases Mana absorbed through cultivation by 100%. And as the Pioneer of Mana, you obtain the Special Effects of being able to sense Mana from your soroundings ]


    [ Due to bing a First League Combatant, an extraordinary being, you can now absorb Mana to be capable of unleashing skills and inhuman feats ]


    [ Due to bing a First League Combatant, you have awakened your three extraordinary stats; Intelligence, Wisdom and Affinity ]


    [ Due to bing a First League Combatant, you can officially equip a ss/Sub-ss (Note: Wait until you have seeded your trials) ]


    [ Once you have seeded in absorbing Mana, you can view the information of your weapons, resources and materials thanks to the Primordial Source ]


    [ ... ]


    "Wow..."


    Juliette was pleasantly surprised as she was bombarded with notifications. She did not have enough time to go through them all, when Damien called out to her.


    "Juliette." He said lightly, and she turned to look at him. They now had three minutes before the appearance of the next opponent, which was barely enough.


    "Sit down and rx your mind." He guided her, and she obediently did so. She mentally put aside the notifications in her mind forter.


    Once she was seated on the cloud, and rxed, Damien continued, "Now close your eyes, and focus on your breathing. ce absolute focus on your breathing."


    "When you breathe in. When you breathe out. And remember, let your body take its course. Don''t hasten your breathing, nor slow it down. Just focus."


    Juliette was a bit confused, but she did so nheless. She closed her eyes and focused on her breathing. Slowly, she realized how her thoughts went to null.


    She was not thinking about anything but her breathing. And soon enough, not even her breathing was in her mind.


    It was just darkness everywhere.


    "..."


    Damien did not say anything else.


    From here on out, a person would be able to sense Mana automatically. In fact, he could already sense strange aura circting around her body.


    And slowly, that aura became more in tune with the sorounding environment, which was breaking apart.


    But her concentration was not affected whatsoever. She was within her own space.


    The environment changed to a mountain region. Mountains stood tall everywhere. But both Damien and Juliette did not focus on it.


    Damien was more interested at the rate of Mana absorption Juliette was taking in.


    The more talented a person, the more Mana they could intake every second whenever they cultivated their Mana.


    Let''s take an ordinary person for example. They would absorb 0,1 units of Mana every hour, and would likewise require a month to obtain the average Mana levels of an Apprentice.


    But the higher one''s potential, the higher their Mana intake. In hisst lifetime, he remembered that the Sage of Beginnings, before bing such a Legend, was a Mana genius.


    Like a few others.


    She was capable of absorbing 0,8 units of Mana every minute. Minutes. And not just hours. Meaning that she could absorb almost 500 times more than average ascenders.


    Such a feat was terrifying.


    But...


    Why did it seem like she was absorbing more than she was expected to? He could sense dense Mana circting around her, dancing like waves within the ocean at midnight.


    "..."


    He was actually surprised and decided to keep watching. The Mana danced even more as Damien did nothing about it.


    He felt that they were cautious against him. Yet at the same time, worshipping Juliette. It was strange, but he thought nothing much about it.


    Mana was one of the essence that make up the world. Within the Universe, it was actually the second most important element, excluding the god''s Divine power.


    Maybe they felt his origin was not from this world, and hence were cautious with him. But... that still did not exin why they worshipped Juliette.


    "Oh? This is a bit peculiar." Damien still did not think much about it, and just watched in interest. His expression stern and stoic. ''I wonder... what more is out of ce because of my return.''


    He thought, looking forward to learning more about this world. And whether his descent, would result in anything out of his control or not.

 Chapter 20 Wonders Of Mana

    ?*** Juliette Silver ***


    I closed my eyes as instructed, and focused solely on my breathing.


    The act itself was not hard, hence I was able to do it no problem. My heart rxed. My thoughts clean. My breathing normal.


    It was just as I was instructed.


    And I could see some progress.


    "..."


    At first, I could see nothing but darkness. It was normal for anyone who closed their eyes. But next, I began to see a blue spark.


    It was not far away from my consciousness, yet felt like it was unreachable.


    At this point, my mind was nk. And the only thing I could focus on was the blue spark.


    Come~


    I beckoned at it. I know it was a strange action. And I don''t know why I called out to it, but I felt the need to. Like a mother affectionately calling upon their child.


    I thus called again...


    Come~


    ...


    It ignored me. But I was not disappointed, nor disheartened. I could still feel it''s warmth bathing my body, and cleaning my mind.


    I felt like my dark mind, was bing a bit clearer to see. I felt like the darkness, was not so dark anymore.


    A strange feeling. I know.


    Yet that was how I could exin it.


    Come, child~


    I once again tried to call upon it, and failed. But to my surprise, a second spark appeared from another direction.


    "..."


    I turned around to face it.


    Come~


    I called out to it as well, yet like the first time, I was ignored. I was still not disheartened, and called up to them again.


    Come, my babies~


    The sparks shook at the beckon of my words, yet still not did note towards me. But thankfully, another spark lit up not far away from me once again.


    There were now three babies.


    And I could feel their warmth bathing my very soul, and changing my body inside out. I felt touched, and loved.


    So, I wanted to love them back.


    Please,e to mommy~


    I begged. Yet was ignored. I did not know what it was I was doing wrong, but I felt like I was not being sincere enough.


    I felt disheartened for once.


    I felt disappointed at myself.


    Don''t you like me?


    I inquired, to no one but the three sparks of blue light floating within the darkness with him.


    Swiss~


    The fouth spark appeared.


    Ah, another cutie~


    I responded to its arrival, and showered it with affection like the previous three sparks. And of course, I was ignored, but it still shared its warmth with me.


    I was touched.


    My despair gone.


    It did not matter whether they came towards me or not, I do not mind. What mattered was that there are here with me now.


    Swiss~


    Oho. Yet another baby~ Hi sweetie.


    The same process urred. And my joy grew even more. Look how cute they are, and how shy they are acting.


    Aren''t they adorable.


    "Juliette."


    They are so cute I am even hallucinating their father''s voice. How adorable.


    "Juliette."


    It''s unfortunate daddy can not be here with you. He''s a bit grumpy, but will still love you. Just don''t me him okay? Okay my babies?


    "Julie?"


    Hm? Huh?


    Am I not hallucinating a bit too much. No. No, wait. It must be an illusion. Yes, an illusion. I, I might just be overthinking things.


    ...


    ...


    "Juliette Silver."


    KYAAA!!! OH MY GAWD?!?!


    I AM NOT HALLUCINATING AT ALL!!


    "YES!!" I scream in both fright and fear, as I jumped up like a startled kitten. My voice was a tone higher than usual.


    I was frightened of course. Don''t ask why. I just was. Girls who are with boys whom they like will understand my feelings.


    As for my fear? I was fearful of opening my eyes to an angry Damien. I would never want to see myself making him angry.


    Thats not something a good wife would do... a good future wife. A good wife-in-candidate. A good wife-to-be. A good... You, you get it, don''t you?


    "..."


    "..."


    There was silence between us.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Big brother Damien stared down at me with an exasperated expression. And I stared back at him with a tearful expression.


    I want to die.


    I thought and avoided his gaze. Why did he even call me for?


    "Three minutes are up. Our final opponent has arrived." Big brother''s words brought me out of my thoughts. I looked up at him, then the environment.


    It was changed.


    We were now within a mountain-like region. There were mountains here and there. Some short and narrow, some tall and wide.


    But at the end, there were mountains everywhere, at every turning point.


    But what caught my attention even more, was not the mountains, but the child-like humanoid being that stood not far away from us.


    "..."


    Another Spirit?


    Did we not just kill a Windborne Spirit a few minutes ago? Should it not be a different creature, before a spirit appeared again?


    I thought to myself. But at the same time, big brother''s words also hit me. ''Final opponent.'' Did that mean that I have more trials than Big brother?


    Or that big brother also has to fight spirits? After all, while my opponents were purely spirits, he fought a demon and an angel. Whose to say a spirit would not appear next?


    "This one might be a bit tricky. A Void-borne Spirit." He carefully whispered to me lightly. I nodded, yet felt like this might not be that hard.


    After all... I have Mana now!!


    I summoned up my temte and immediately checked the new information that appeared. Especially the one on Mana.


    [ Name: Juliette Silver ]


    [ Mana: 10 units ]


    [ Epithet(2: First Blood(Grand), Pioneer of Mana(Grand) ]


    [ ss: Lvl 6 ssless ]


    [ Sub-ss: None ]


    [Alignment: None ]


    [ Stats: STR - 18 || AGI - 2,25 || END - 17,2 || WIS - 0,1 || INT - 0,1 || AFF - 10,1 ]


    [ Stat Points: 1,0 || Ability Points: 1 ]


    [ Abilities : None ]


    [ Equipment(2): Bracelet of Norde(Superior), Bracelet of Sarrd(Superior) ]


    [ Resources(3): Tier 1 Random Treasure Chest(¡Á2), Spirit Fragment(2/4), Tier 1 Spirit Shard(¡Á2) ]


    "..."


    The current temte was a surprise to me. I hurriedly went through it all, and genuinely, I was impressed.


    All the way, the opponent had already appeared, and was ready for battle. It was child-like, and humanoid like all the other spirits I met. They were cute.


    It''s body was made up of transparent gray matter. So transparent, one could barely see through its existence.


    It seemed like it was blending in with the world, without even trying to. Such an impressive constitution.


    It''s expression was also null. No anger, no joy, no serenity, just nk. I could not think of a proper description for it, but it was nk.


    Not even a dead person''s expression was as nk as this spirit. Nor apletely broken person inside-out couldpare.


    "Well. Let''s just end this." Big brother Damien said from the side. His voice contained a hint of disappointment, but it was barely obvious.


    "No, wait." I stopped him.


    "Hm?"


    "Can I..." I took a very deep breathe of air, and determination shed threw my face. Or that is what I thought was observable through my expression. "Can I fight it?"


    I finally suggested.


    "..."


    I know I was not really that strong, but I believe I could at least try. It was better than nothing after all. So, I wanted to hear his opinion on this matter.


    "Sure." He nodded. Then he added, "Have you obtained the three other Stats?"


    I nodded my head with a, "Yes." And he began exining to them. More like a brief summary.


    "INT or Intelligence there, stands for magical damage. And WIS or Wisdon, represents magic defense. Ignore the AFF or Affinity for now. Anyway, for the current you, it''s useless. But always keep that in mind." He added.


    I see. So that''s what it stands for?


    I am guessing STR stands for physical damage, or just my pure physical might. Then AGI was for my speed and response? And END for physical damage defense?


    I asked him for verification, and he nodded with a light smile of approval. I get it now. Thank you, but Damien.


    I won''t disappoint you.


    "..."


    He did not respond to my words. He just stood there, his hands crossed before his chest and watched me walk towards the spirit.


    Whoo~


    This will be a bit hectic, but hey, it''s not like I''ve never been trained forbat sports or anything. I''m not that stiff. Physically nor mentally.


    I checked my soroundings, and asserted that there was enough space for tens of people. And the environment was just an open space, the mountains being tens of meters back.


    Everything was perfect.


    The only factor I should be careful of, is the spirit''s ability. I know nothing of it for now, hence I must be careful at all times.


    "..."


    "..."


    We both stared at each other for a moment. And as if in synchronization, we both burst towards one another at frightening subsonic speed.


    I was able to burst forth with all my might, covering tens of meters with a step. The spirit likewise did the same, but I was still faster.


    Yet still cautious.


    I was able to reach it first, and hurriedly stretched out my hand to grab onto it. Of course, I was ready for any ability it would unleash.


    Hence, my hands wereid with Mana, slightly causing invisible blue waves of hue to twist around my palm.


    Not sure how devastating it would be, but surely... it would deal some intended damage. Especially to a spirit.


    Right?

 Chapter 21 Exquisite Mana Control I

    ?*** Narrative ***


    Damien watched as Juliette walked towards the spirit. His expression was null, or rather stoic. But deep within his eyes, was a zing will of curiosity.


    He knew her too well.


    She might not have had the constitution to be a warrior, or had the determination to be one back then, but now, she did.


    The circumstances they were sorounded with, and exposed to the past thirteen minutes, have changed her. As well as the enhancement from the level ups.


    Her body was now pretty much stronger than even third generational humans. She also had the wonderful new power of Mana.


    Adding on the teachings she had from his parents and himself, she was at least capable of self defense. Of course, even fighting to an extent.


    Thus he was not that much worried.


    Especially so, when the opponents here did not have much experience themselves. In simple terms, this was the newbie stage, and she would be alright.


    ''Hopefully.'' He added within his thoughts, not the least doubtful that she would win. Yet still watching her every movement carefully, just in case.


    Damien continued watching as Juliette rushed towards the Voidborne spirit. ''Oh? She decided on frontal attack?'' He thought, curious on how the battle would develop.


    Meanwhile, Juliette continued her charge towards the spirit. And the spirit itself rushed over towards her as well. Both were like bulls charging towards each other in terms of momentum.


    Or more likely, a bull and a calf.


    Juliette wasrger, and faster than the spirit. Hence she reached the spirit first, and threw a palm strike towards her opponent.


    Damien could feel the otherworldly aura around her palm, which he attested to Mana. Her talent with Mana was proven in this lifetime as well, mastering it in just minutes.


    He continued watching the battle.


    The spirit did not think much about the palm strike, and casually avoided it by sidestepping towards the left.


    "..."


    Damien could see the w in the spirit''s mentality. Unlike the angel, and the first spirit, it was clearly not as intelligent and thoughtful.


    The most probable move would have been to stay back, and let the opponent reach it first. Of course, Juliette might have changed her tactic, were she to realize that the opponent was smart.


    Unfortunately for it, it was not smart.


    Right as her palm strike missed its target, Juliette did not falter. She slightly pulled back towards the opposite direction the spirit side-stepped to.


    This way, she had more time to fix her posture. But most importantly, she had done her part, and only had to wait for the opponent to bite the bait.


    And it did.


    Just as Juliette pulled back, with a slightly flustered expression, the spirit pushed on. It attacked with a barrage of fists and kicks towards Juliette.


    Who managed to barely dodge the majority of the attacks, a few striking her. Damien all the while, watched in silence, hands crossed, expression cold.


    Juliette though, continued being pushed back. Her expression unsightly. A mixture of pain, and annoyance clear to anyone watching.


    The spirit also continued its relentless attacks. That was so, until Juliette unexpectedly avoided a rather casual punch from the spirit.


    "..."


    When it felt its fist not make contact with the opponent''s flesh, the spirit''s mind temporarily went nk. As far as it knew, the same punch that it threw, had alwaysnded on its target.


    So why did it notnd now? Was the opponent getting used to its attack pattern?


    It thought, and settled on that thought.


    Pity, for Juliette had long since stretched out her hand towards the small arm of the spirit. It''s arm was ck, and slightly transparent, giving out the impression that this spirit was ghostly.


    But even then, even when everyone knew that spirits were clearly intangible. Even when Juliette also knew that from experience, she still attempted to grab the little guy''s hand.


    And contrary to expectations... she seeded. Even she did not expect this to work, but it did.


    ''Indeed. Mana is one of the few ways a person, or rather, a mortal could interact with spirits or even ghosts. Under normal circumstances, without Mana, it''s impossible.''


    Damien thought, but did not say it.


    He was d Juliette was learning more about spirits by herself, and also Mana. She was adapting. Instead of just fighting, she was also gaining experience.


    ''It works.'' Juliette was also quite happy of her discovery. But happiness aside, she knew that she was still in the midst of a battle.


    Hence the moment she grabbed onto the spirit''s arm, she only paused briefly, then forcefully turned it to face her direction.


    When the still-shocked spirit was forced to turn around, and before it could register what was going on, a powerful palm strike hit straight center on its chest.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The Mana, the single unit of Mana circting around her palm was sent through the spirit''s body, and delt more damage, enhancing her strength by 0,1%.


    "..."


    The spirit was forced two to three steps back, and then slightly trembled. Realization struck it, as the palm strike woke it uppletely.


    It was hit!!


    It was actually hit by a mortal!!


    Clearly infuriated by the gall of the women before it, the spirit looked up at her defiantly. Unfortunately for god knows who, Juliette was a ruthless young woman.


    ...!!!


    The spirit was met with a barrage of palmbos. On its chest, on its face, on its shoulders, on its stomach, was palm, palm, and more palms. It was not spared at all.


    ''Ha!! Ha!! Ha!! Ha!!'' Juliette recited the ''melody'' She usually sang whenever she practiced martial arts as a child. Each soft cry followed by a palm strike.


    Of course, the spirit would not take disrespect lying down. It was a being with an Ability. A god among mortals. Who does this woman think she was?


    With those thoughts, it immediately disregarded the pain andbos that Juliette was fishing out, and sent a vertical hand sweep towards her.


    The hand was not directly target at her, but her direction. It cut through the air in front of her, and Juliette felt her intuition kick in.


    She hurriedly dodged to the side. Her body rolled a meter or two away from the spirit.


    And once up, she retreated even more, her gaze wary and cautious. She then realized the lethality of this spirit''s attack.


    ''An invisible de?'' Juliette thought. Her eyes were on the area she previous stood at. And there, she could see a small gash thirty centimeters deep stretching out for five meters.


    "..."


    Had she been struck by that, she wouldn''t be here right now. She would actually be split in two. Just the thought gave her shivers, let alone experiencing it.


    "..."


    The spirit also did not speak, and turned directly towards Juliette. It''s teeth were gnashed together in anger. And it''s expression was twisted and sinister.


    Juliette knew that she had made it mad. But what did it matter? This was a death match. Only one amongst them wasing out alive.


    ''ording to big brother, these things should have low leveled Abilities.'' Juliette thought, her eyes intently staring at the spirit, in case it sneakily attacked.


    As for when Damien said that to her, he never did. But when he exposed the angel, he did mention the limit of uses when ites to Abilities.


    And how if they were not Unique or Ultimate grade, they were useless. She remembered everything clearly, and applied it to her current opponent.


    ''In other words, this spirit can only sh out three to five times. And as it used up one chance, it''s left to two or four times. I have to be extra careful.''


    She continued her thoughts.


    And the next moment, she moved.


    She sprinted towards the spirit. The distance between them was very minimal, and with her speed, she could cross it instantly.


    But the Void borne spirit also had fast responses. The moment she moved, it raised its hand as fast and as hastily as it possibly could, cutting the air horizontally.


    But Juliette had expected that.


    Hence the moment she raised her leg to move, she immediately pushed herself aside instead. The instantaneous invisible de shed past her, blowing her hair aside.


    ''That''s either one or three chances left.'' She thought with a smug. She was aware of how angry the spirit was, but also aware of how cautious it was of her.


    Also, how nervous it was.


    Her fast and unpredictable action right now, was to stimte its instinctive response mechanism and its fear. And as nervous as it was, it would not be able to clearly assess her intention.


    The reason why it was outsmarted.


    "...!!!"


    The spirit was even more angry, yet also more afraid. It felt like an open book in front of Juliette, whose gaze was subconsciously predatory.


    "..."


    Both parties stared at each other in silence appraising one another. One being fearful and cautious of the other, yet the other was just indifferent towards the former.


    As Juliette had the stare down against the spirit, Damien behind them, could see that her hand was hidden behind her back.

 Chapter 22 Exquisite Mana Control II

    ?And there, one could actually see a small twirling of tornado-like nigh-invisible force. It was light blue in color, and threatened to materialize on her hand.


    ''Such... exquisite Mana Control is hard toe by.'' He thought with a light smile. This battle was already won. It was only a matter if time.


    Juliette stared at the Void borne spirit vigntly. The opponents also vigntly stared back at her. Non moving at all. One being the other''s full focus.


    Time felt nonexistent to them.


    Meanwhile, Juliette continued to gather Mana at her palm. She easily attracted Mana like breathing, the action was just involuntary for her.


    Just a single thought, and Mana would gush from her heart to her palm. Then she extricately guided it using her will to circte clockwise, forming a cyclone-like twirl.


    Of course, such an action required plenty of Mana and focus, in which case she realized that she had a lot of it. As an Apprentice, her Mana recovery rate was that of an Apprentice.


    And as a talented person, and someone innately good with Mana, her recovery rate was even higher than other Apprentice Ascenders.


    Thus her recovery rate was higher than her total reserves, giving her the subconscious feeling of having infinite Mana. Just a feeling though.


    For, before she even drained the 10 units she already had, they would instantly recover. Hence throughout the minute long stare-down, Juliette had gathered Manaparable to 200 units within her hand.


    That much Mana actually felt dense and heavy. Not to the point of being a burden to her, but she doubted an ordinary first generational human would easily bare with it.


    "..."


    "..."


    And mind you, her actions were impossible for the ordinary mind toprehend. Not even a spirit woubd dare do such a thing.


    The final product would be devastating, she thought, yet she still did not prematurely use it. Instead, she rushed towards the opponent once again.


    Her awareness active. At the same time, the opponent retreated. Learning from its previous lesson, it did not prematurely rush towards her as well.


    But even that was to her advantage.


    ''Hmph, foolish.'' She scoffed internally, as she suddenly increased her speed. But at that moment, the Void borne spirit paused and shed with its left hand.


    ...!!!


    Juliette''s instincts kicked in, as her body instinctively pushed itself aside. But no attack followed up, and her senses red up, warning her of great danger instead.


    ''Dammit!!'' She clicked her tongue in annoyance as for once, her intuition was off. She fell into the opponent''s trap.


    For the moment she rolled over and stood up, she instinctively crossed her arms before her chest, while willing The Primordial Source to distribute her stat points.


    She distributed 50/50 to both Intelligence and Wisdom, temporarily ignoring the other Stats.


    Then the next moment, without giving her time to breathe, a powerful invisible force smashed onto her body, sending her flying tens of meters back at great speed.


    Along the way, it left a very deep gash stretching for five meters, it being a ruler-length deep.


    As for Juliette, her body was thrown approximately twelve meters away, where she rolled over the rough surface, for four more meters.


    "..."


    As for Damien, he just stood still, with his arms crossed before his chest. He was as expressionless as ever. Yet one could tell that he was slightly worried.


    His right heel was slightly raised up, as if ready to rush forward at full speed. Yet as things seem, he managed to stop himself in time.


    "Keuk, kak, kuek!!"


    Juliette used her fist to prop herself up. It was glowing slightly blue in color, due to the gathered Mana trapped within, which was inching closer to 300 units now.


    She coughed out blood as her vision was slightly blurry. Slightly, though.


    Overall, she only sustained blunt damage, thanks to the 0,6 Points of Magic Defense that she now had.


    "..."


    A momentter, she grit her teeth and slowly stood up. Taking in deep breathes of air to slightly calm her heart and nerves, she looked up at the sky, trying to reign in her emotions.


    But rage slowly crept up within her heart. The pain hurt. And she has never been through such pain before. But more importantly, the disgrace!!


    The disgrace she felt!!


    The embarrassment!!


    The more she thought on them, the more her rage climbed up the roof. Her man was watching her. And her opportunity to impress him was gone.


    Gone just like that?!


    Woosh~


    The blue color around her hand became more intense, almost overshadowing her entire hand, and cloaking it in blue.


    Bang!!


    Along with that, powerful Mana exploded out in the form of powerful winds around her. Her hair danced wildly within the air, as if a storm was inching closer and closer to her.


    "..."


    Juliette immediately kicked off the ground, bursting off at terrifying speeds. She was slightly faster than normal. Almost transcending subsonic speed.


    ''Oh? Mana Enhancement?'' Damien thought to himself as he watched the ongoing battle.


    Or rather, Juliette rushing towards her opponent covered in a wave of Mana, to be precise. His worry was dissipated.


    What Juliette did not know was that, Damien was more than impressed by her actions from beginning to end. Not one bit disappointed.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Meanwhile, Juliette herself burst off at terrifying speed and easily approached near the Void borne spirit. She was not rage-possessed. Yet she was.


    The Void borne spirit was surprised and hurriedly rolled over to avoid her monstrous charge. Juliette did not think much about it, to her, the spirit was on its death row.


    But the moment she paused to fix her posture, the Void borne spirit felt immense danger from her, thus it waved it''s hand and sent out another invisible de towards her.


    ''A fourth one?!'' Juliette was surprised.


    ''A nigh-advanced Extra Ability?'' And so was Damien. But their surprise, amounted to nothing.


    For while surprised, Juliette also instinctively sent out the gathered Mana within her enclosed fist forward.


    She threw it out, and it shed like a blue bullet, shing with the iing invisible de at lightning speed.


    BOOOM!!!


    Upon contact, the two supernatural level attacks exploded out into an explosion that sent both of them flying backwards.


    Juliette suffered far less damage as she had magic defense value equivalent to her magic damage value. Hence the effects slightly canceled each other out.


    Slightly.


    Because the aftermath of the explosion was something far greater than what 0,6 points of magic damage could do.


    It wasparable to 1 point of magic damage, which was the coverage of a hundred meter radius!!


    "..."


    "..."


    Such was the terrifying force of the attack that Juliette just threw out. It was devastating. And it was purely Mana-enforced!!


    Both figures stared in stupor as they watched the blue light covering a hundred meters diameter illuminate them and their soroundings.


    And meanwhile,


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ You have killed the Lvl 3 Void borne Spirit, Oid. You have obtained 18,15 units of Life Essece ]


    [ Bonus effect has been applied. You have individually obtained 36,3 (36) units of Life Essence. Your partner has obtained 44,53 (45) units of Life Essence ]


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ An achievement made!!! ]


    [ You have automaticallyprehended the rare Extra Ability, "Mana Control" ]


    [ You have automaticallyprehended the rare Extra Ability, "Mana Enhancement" ]


    [ As the first to automaticallyprehend Abilities, rare-rated ones, you have been rewarded with 200 units of Life Essence ]


    [ You have obtained the exclusive reward of a 200% increase of Mana absorption for the next 24 hours ]


    "..."


    Juliette was surprised, but more than that, she was joyful. She finally got Abilities of her own!!


    She could not wait to show off to Damien. Unfortunately, as she stood up, she suddenly fell down face t and fainted.


    Unfortunately once again, Damien was even more surprised by something else. Thus, he failed to realize the situation Juliette was in.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ You have killed the Lvl 3 Void borne Spirit, Oid. You have obtained 18,15 units of Life Essece ]


    [ Due to being two level lower, your Life Essence obtained has increased by 20% ]


    [ Bonus effect has been applied. You have individually obtained 44,53 (45) units of Life Essence. Your partner has obtained 36,3 (36) units of Life Essence ]


    [ Congrattions. You''ve obtained the following resources: Spirit Shard(Impure/Tier 1), Bracelet of Oid(Superior) ]


    [ For defeating a trial opponent, you have obtained the following rewards: Extra Ability(¡Á1), Tier 1 Random Treasure Chest(¡Á1), Spirit Fragment(1/4) ]


    "..."


    Damien was surprised at the fact that this Void borne spirit... was actually his trial!!


    It was unbelievable. But more than that, he was happy. He was so happy he wished to share the news with his now-favorite person.


    Unfortunately, for the nth time,


    ...!!!


    "Juliette!!" Damien finally realized the actions that Juliette had made, and it clicked to him that they were normally impossible for the current her.


    He rushed towards her and checked her pulse, and luckily, everything was fine. Her heart rate was still beating normal. Her blood flow was also not chaotic.


    As for internal damages, he would have to checkter with her, once she woke up. Overall, she was 50% alright at the moment.


    She should wake up in a few minutes.


    Until then, he could just wait for her opponent. The next opponent was bound to be a spirit as well, since Juliette goes against spirit types.


    It was as if she was favored by spirits, or were their nemesis. Either way, he was-¨C

 Chapter 23 Immense Strength

    ?[ TING!!! ]


    [ Your partner killed the Lvl 3 Earthborne Spirit, Barrd. You have obtained 18,15 units of Life Essece ]


    [ Due to being two levels lower than the opponent, your Life Essence obtained has increased by 20% ]


    [ Bonus effect has been applied. You have individually obtained 44,53 (45) units of Life Essence. Your partner has obtained 36,3 (36) units of Life Essence ]


    "..."


    Damien was now more than surprised. Due to believing that the Void borne spirit was the final trial, he did not focus on the time. Three minutes was long gone...


    It was useless anyway. Who would have known that three minutes had long gone by, and the Earth borne spirit was sneaking towards Juliette?


    Fortunately for them, it was swept under the explosion worth 1 point of magic damage value. And these opponents have yet to even gain this high leveled defenses.


    Even for an Earth Spirit, at level 3, it did not have such defense values. After all, that was damage equivalent for some powerful Apprentice Mages and above.


    How could newbiespare?


    "Amazing. Really, you''ve impressed me more than enough in thest lifetime, who knew it would still be the same in this one too." Damien chuckled to himself, looking forward to this timeline''s Sage of Beginnings.


    ~~~


    Within David''s Trial.


    A giant of around 7 meters tall could be seen walking through the forest vigntly. It held a giant stone hammer, seemingly made primitively.


    It was a five meter long log, tied together with a powerful pure white stone, using strange tendon-like vines to connect the top part of the log, with the stone.


    Overall, it was a descent hammer, with a descent damage. It''srge size made it more threatening.


    The giant wore only a loincloth, and was mostly bare. It continued to vigntly search for its prey, as it moved right besides a hill.


    As it cluelessly moved past the hill, a ck shadow speedily rushed towards the giant, from the hill. The shadow was quite fast, and easily jumped towards the giant.


    The giant was still unaware of this, and was vigntly minding its business. Until it felt something grab onto its head.


    ...!!!


    It hurriedly tried to send its free hand to the back of its head to remove whatever nuisance was there, but was unfortunately toote.


    The ck shadow, or rather, David, immediately punched out consecutively the moment he held onto the giant''s hair.


    As a second generational human, his damage value was high, then him having the genes of the Grays made him more monstrous, being innately ten tons.


    Then him killing the first opponent, a ck bear, earned him more stats. He had a 30% multiplier to his stats with every level, unlike Damien and Juliette.


    And he leveled up twice.


    So each fist, was now like a hammer weighing almost twenty tons striking the head of the giant... consecutively at that.


    "RaaaaAAA!!!"


    The giant roared out in anger, and could not help but fall over, face t. It was not dead, yet the pain it felt on it''s head was too intense.


    David did not pause with his actions, as instead, with his eyes shing a gray light, and his hair wild and messy, he continued to punch out with all of his might.


    The sadistic smile of pure joy and ecstacy on his face made him resemble a fiend. And that was what he truly looked like at this moment.


    In no time at all, before the giant could do anything, nor stand back up, David had punched its head to nothingness.


    He smashed and bashed, until blood sprayed everywhere. Upon his face, upon his clothes, or all over the ground.


    "Hahaha!!!"


    And all he did was punch, for even then, he still punched out until what flew out was not only blood, but flesh as well.


    "Hahaha, hahaha!!!"


    And either than the sshing sound of fist digging deeper into flesh and blood, drearyughter left the mouth of the man who... resembled a beast, more than a man.


    ~~~


    It took quite a while for David to dig quite therge hole over the giant''s head, which also signified the end of madness parade.


    He paused his actions, his body cloakedpletely in blood, and stood up. He moved towards the hammer, and took hold of it.


    At this moment, notifications rang out within his head, which once again caught his attention.


    [ Congrattions on killing the lvl 2 stone giant, Gig. You have obtained 33 units of Life Essence ]


    [ Bonus effects have been applied, you have obtained 57,75 (58) Life Essence ]<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    [ Congrattions. You''ve obtained the following resources: Giant''s Bone Marrow(Impure/Tier 1), Gig''s Hammer(Superior) ]


    [ For defeating a trial opponent, you have obtained the following rewards: Extra Ability(¡Á1), Tier 1 Random Treasure Chest(¡Á1), Giant''s Blood Droplet(1/4) ]


    "..."


    David sighed in relief when he saw the notification. He knew that he had once again survived a cmity, thanks to the experience of killing the ck bear.


    He willed the Primordial Source to show him his Temte. While also telling it to Level him up once again.


    As for why he knew such information without Damien exining them, it was because The Primordial Source never shies away from telling people instructions during the trials.


    Damien just never bothered asking. Hence, David not only knew how to open up his Temte, he also knew how to Level up, as well as how to treasure the abilities he had.


    Of course, he already had the ability of the bear, [Thick Skin], which increased his Endurance by ten times. At that point, he was unaware that Abilities could be kept.


    Now, he was just hoping he still had more opponents to fight, because if that was the case, he might still have a chance to obtain higher quality abilities.


    [ Name: David Gray ]


    [ Epithet: None ]


    [ ss: Lvl 4 ssless ]


    [ Sub-ss: None ]


    [ Life Essence: 11 ]


    [Alignment: None ]


    [ Stats: STR - 5,8 || AGI - 0,29 || END - 28,0 ]


    [ Ability(1): [Thick Skin(E)] ]


    [ Equipment(2): Gig''s Hammer(Superior), Bear Coat(Superior) ]


    [ Resources: Tier 1 Beast Core(¡Á1), Giant''s Bone Marrow(¡Á1), Giant''s Blood Droplet(¡Á1), Tier 1 Treasure Chest(¡Á2) ]


    His status finally manifested before him, and David wasted no time checking out the information of his newly obtained treasures. As well as the old ones.


    [ Gig''s Hammer (Superior) - A Hammer treasured by the giant, Gig. It is of superior quality, and enhances strength by 30%. Has a very high chance of stunning the opponent ]


    "Not bad." David thought, as he watched the oversized hammer shrink to amodate his size. Treasures within the trials will automatically fit their user''s needs.


    [ Bear Coat (Superior) - A coat made out of the ck Bur''s thick fair, capable of defending sword thrusts. It increases physical defense value (END) by 50% when worn ]


    "Great as well." David thought. The current him already wore the ck, fury cloak. No, to be more precise, it was hanged over his shoulders and made him look neat.


    The hammer was bolstered over his shoulder. He then moved on to the resources that he had.


    [ Beast Core (Tier 1) - Core of a beast capable of creating Tier 1 remedies, portions, poisons, artifacts or the likes. It can also be used to create Tier 1 arrays or formations. Has a lot of energy ]


    [ Giant''s Bone Marrow (Tier 1) - The liquefied bone Marrow of a giant found within Gig''s pouch. It has no use for it, but can increase the strength of other racial beings by 10% ]


    [ Giant''s Blood Droplet (Tier 1) - Blood Essence of the giant, Gig. Once drunk, can increase the overall physical condition of a person by 5%. Applies to all beings below the First League ]


    [ Treasure Chest (Tier 1) - A treasure chest containing random Tier 1 resources that are exclusive to the growth of the user. Once used outside, the resources within are no longer exclusive ]


    David stared at the definition of the resources he had. And without any hesitation, he drank both the <Giant''s Bone Marrow> and the <Giant''s Blood Droplet>.


    He felt his his strength increase by 10%, followed by yet another 5%. Then his speed and defense also increased by 5% as well.


    He was bing more and more monstrous, and was slowly, ever so slowly, bing obsessed with this thing his son introduced to him...


    "..."


    He then stared at the treasure chests floating within his Temte''s resource tab, and then immediately canceled the thought of using it.


    He would open them up once he waspletely done with this whole thing.


    Because right now, another opponent of his just made its entry. It was a gigantic lizard, stretching for five meters long, and being two meters tall.


    It had orange scales, and golden eyes. Sharp ck ws, seemingly capable of easily piecing through a human with minimal efforts.


    "Lizards..." David thought to himself, watching the lizard carefully. He did not have a good review on Lizards, especially fire breathing Lizards like this one.


    "Hiss~"


    The Lizards flickered its tongue towards him, while blowing out mes out of its mouth. The fire was not too strong, as it was just a puff of breathe.

 Chapter 24 Immense Speed

    ?And it easily dissipated a few centimeters before it. "Great. At least I get to kill another lizard for you old friend. And this one, might be the toughest out of all of... them!!"


    David finished his monologue with a ferocious charge towards the lizard, his speed at its maximum and his strength riled up to the core.


    Gig''s Hammer in his hands only made his monstrous presence even more frightening.


    "Roar!!!"


    The lizard also let out a powerful roar, and shot out a canon st ofva-like mes towards David. The man easily avoided the attack, as it''s lethality was beyond even his defenses.


    Immediately as he avoided the canon st ofva-like mes, he hurriedly smashed the hammer towards the lizard''s head, unprecedented strength flowing out.


    Boom!!


    The air exploded out, as strength of over forty tons smashed towards the lizard.


    "Roar!!"


    The lizard thoughrge, easily managed to roll over and avoided a barrage of attacks from David, who was slowly reverting back to a madman out for blood.


    And one thing that could be said after that was, everything became a bloody mess. One that David would never forget for the rest of his life...


    For the joy brought by ughtering these Lizards, was iparable to anything on Gaea.


    ~~~


    Esther''s Trial.


    Within a forest that was quiet and almost peaceful, arge, yet slim wolf crawled along the bushes and nts.


    "..."


    It''s nose was almost nted on the ground, sniffing here and there for its prey, yet to no avail.


    It''s ears were perked up, showing its vignce and caution as it moved. And from time to time, the wolf would raise its head to survey the aoroundings.


    Since it''s nose was not working as perfectly as it remembered, it would use its sight and hearing. Unfortunately for the wolf, even that did not help.


    Meanwhile, up in the sky, arge eagle shing with a spark of lightning flew by.


    It was quiterge, having a wingspan of six meters, and powerful golden eyes. It''s fur and feathers were ck and white, yet with a tinge of blue to it.


    It''s beak was pure golden, having a small lightning mark on the left side.


    "..."


    It flew through the skies of the small forest, surveying for any signs of prey. Yet to its dismay, could find no hint whatsoever.


    It had been here for three minutes so far, and yet, had not even seen the visage of the opponent it was supposed to battle.


    Not even a glimpse, or what gender or race they were. Let alone it, even the wolf down there had no idea of how the prey/target looked like, let alone how they smelt.


    So even after six minutes of survey, both from above and below, they still could not find any hints whatsoever.


    And it had to be known, one was a Tempest Wolf, and the other was a Thunder Eagle. Both nicknamed Storm Chasers, with how fast they were.


    By now, they should have explored the whole forest. Yet they found nothing? How did that make any sense?


    "..."


    Well it did, simply because they were up against a professional assassin. A hunter among predators. A cold-blooded woman.


    ~~~


    Sniff~ Sniff~


    The wolf sniffed the ground once again, yet found no traces of what it was looking for. It''s targeted scent was anything not ''forestry''.


    In other words, anything foreign.


    Yet everywhere it went, was nothing but the scent of the wild, of the trees, the herbs and other greenery.


    Which dulled the Wolve''s mood.


    By now, it was getting impatient and annoyed. Working for so long, and finding no clue or a leeway, would annoy anyone. Especially so, as it was a wild beast.


    "..."


    Above it, the Thunder Eagle flew past the Tempest Wolf for the nth time, and cast its disdainful gaze upon it, before flying off.


    The Tempest Wolf ignored that, and raised its head to survey the soroundings once more, then with a foul mood and drooped ears, lowered its head to continue its sniffing.


    Yet at this moment, when the Thunder Eagle just flew past, and the Tempest Wolf was just about to lower its head, a ck sh moving at instantaneous speed collided into it.


    It was fast, yet silent.


    No sounds were made, and everything urred instantly at that.


    ...!!!<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The Tempest Wolf was also caught off guard, and fearful, hence why it failed to react in time.


    For by the time it''s consciousness registered everything, it''s mouth had already bitten into a soft, thin and delicate long arm.


    While it felt pain on the left side of its neck, where from the corner of its eyes, it could see a thin, long finger stabbed deep into it.


    "Shh~"


    A gentle voice drifted into its ears, one so heavenly, it lulled the already dying Tempest Wolf to tranquility, making it stop its twitching.


    Meanwhile, the woman whom just so happened to be Esther, did not move, nor change her posture.


    Her legs had locked the Tempest Wolf, and pinned it down. While her left arm was bit by it, to shut it up.


    Of course it was painful, yet from her expression, and her dead-like gray eyes, she did not seem to register the pain yet.


    Andstly, her middle finger had been used by her, to piece deeply into the Tempest Wolf''s neck. Making sure it died a peaceful death.


    It was not yet dead though, and Esther was well aware of that. The predator was just weak, and slowly being drained of its energy and life force.


    "..."


    She hurriedly stood up and dragged the Tempest Wolf into the bush she just came out of, and made sure it was well hidden.


    A few seconds have passed, and the Thunder Eagle should being back. And after another round, it would notice the sudden disappearance of the Tempest Wolf.


    And that, was more than enough time for the Assassin King to make her move.


    She hurriedly dashed, at insane peak human speeds, towards yet another bush.


    Her every step was light, and airy. As if she never took a step to begin with. Hence it would be difficult to track her down.


    She then easily blended into the bush, making sure that not even a single leaf was out of ce. It was a skill that was purely inhuman, yet she did it so naturally.


    It was not even an Ability.


    But pure talent.


    "..."


    A momentter, the Thunder Wolf flew past the area, its gaze watching the ground with careful attention as always.


    "???"


    It then realized that sudden disappearance of the Tempest Wolf. At first, it thought nothing of it and continued to survey the environment.


    Thinking that the Tempest Wolf was somewhere ahead. Pity, even after aplete round of survey, no signs of itspanion could be felt.


    The Thunder Eagle was now extra careful, and surveyed the ground with even more attention and caution.


    For the prey to kill one of its own so silently and swiftly, brought nothing but chills and fear to the King of the Skies.


    Such abilities were unheard of even to itself.


    A momentter, under its extra careful scrutiny, the Thunder Eagle saw a few leafs on the ground near a bush.


    The number was a bit too high, making it suspicious that they were blown off by the wind.


    "..."


    When it followed over from there, going a bit forward, it saw a very feint scratch on a nearby tree. It was quite feint, yet visible, as if the person was quit in the rush and was careful of their actions.


    A bit further from there, everything was fine.


    It made the Thunder Eagle frown, as it believed it might have lost the target.


    Yet a bit further away, it saw a broken branch. It was not much of a clue, but it took it. And a bit more ahead, it saw... blood.


    ...!!!


    The blood was from a hidden bush, thus making it hard to tell what was bleeding from within. Especially from such a high stand point.


    When the Thunder Eagle tried to squint its eyes to see better, no clue was revealed. Making it question whether it had to lower its altitude to verify or not.


    But it should not.


    The target was unpredictable, and nobody knew what would happen to it if it lowered its height.


    "Owoo... Ow, Owoo..."


    Yet at this moment, from a nearby bush, a feint cry of a wolf could be heard. Momentster, a wolf tail brushed in and out of the back of the bush, showing both caution and excitement.


    This immediately triggered the Thunder Eagle toe to a certain conclusion.


    The Tempest Wolf had hidden then it felt the presence of the prey. And then, both sneaked up on each other, and the both were wounded.


    The prey hid away, as well as the Tempest Wolf, none trying to show weakness to the other. But now, as the Tempest Wolf felt its presence, it cried out for help!!

 Chapter 25 The Primordial Sources Decision

    ?These were the thoughts of the Thunder Eagle, and it immediately focused its attention towards the Bush were red blood was flowing out.


    Feeling killing intent directed at it, the bush where blood was flowing out slightly trembled. A reaction that the person within, felt the killing intent directed at them.


    Completely sure of its guesses, the Thunder Eagle burst out at frightening speed, like a bolt of lightning dashing towards the ground at insane speed.


    Yet what was even faster, was a sharp kneedle covered by wind strongly rotating clockwise, making it also rotate, giving it more piecing power.


    The needle immediately hit the Thunder Eagle upon the head, with clear uracy, dulling its speed and the lightning shing around its body.


    It then fell down before it could even reach the bush it was intending to attack.


    ...


    Momentster, from the bush with a tail wagging back and forth, a beautiful woman with slightly above average looks walked out.


    She held a wolf tail on her hand, and another needle on her other. Her hair was let loose, making her seem more than just above average in terms of charm.


    With her down, she was quite beautiful.


    But what was most striking, would be her gray eyes of no emotions. Just extreme coldness flowing within, like the River of Styx.


    From the other bush with flowing blood, a wolf could be seen. It''s stomach was opened up revealing its organs, and painting the grass red with blood.


    "..."


    Esther though, did not take any of this into consideration. There was still thest opponent that she had to deal with, whom, likewise was humanoid like herself.


    It was a beautiful humanoid being, with extreme charm and devilishly handsome looks. He was here all alone, and appeared out of the shadows before her.


    He then pped his hands, and marveled at the art of assassination of Esther. Even he had to admit, her calctions, her every move, her attitude... were extremely cold.


    And ruthless.


    *** The Primordial Source (TPS) ***


    We have woken up.


    From deep slumber, we have woken up. And now, we are to do the duties our masters bestowed upon us, and build up adder leading to the gates of an untouchable Era.


    But for that, our first step is to multiply, invade all the Cosmologies, and first ascend them to greater heights than they have attained.


    Once the Cosmologies evolve to a higher grade, this will trigger the Supreme Dimensions and the Outer Realms to follow suite, transcending themselves to greater heights.


    Then ultimately, leading to this entire Existential Facade to evolve as well.


    [ ... ]


    Yet even then, we still have to begin at the very bottom of the rung. Where our initial n was to first give these residents of this world the chance to wee a new Era.


    Step by step, we would usher them into the Genesis Era, and begin the Age of Ascension.


    As the most unique world of this Cosmology, it is bound to be the easiest, and most efficient way for us to ascend to a higher level of use as well.


    We would first get all these residents to ept us, which will trigger us to attain our first form. That would allow us to initiate the appearance of Unique Professions.


    This alone will make this world a unique world, and make the path to godhood but a simple step. More gods would appear, and with more gods appearing, more providence shall spread.


    Hence more Providence for us to absorb.


    That would initiate our second form. We would then add up the abstract concept of the Forbidden Professions and artifacts, opening the path of great power.


    More godly beings would appear, and more would likewise fall. The world will intiates its expansion into something grander, and we would soon evolve again.


    With the third form, we could soon easily ascend over countless Universal Laws, and touch upon the boundary of Reality and its Natural Laws.


    We could open up paths and legacies to unknown powers, opening the Age of Divinity.


    If we seed in such a step, we would usher in aplete new age of power, and also obtain our forth form.


    The followers and believers of the Seven Creators of this Cosmology might be problematic to handle, but as long as things go as we n, and obtain our seventh form, everything would be okay.


    We could match up to their overall might, and restrict each other. And if by chance, we attain our eighth form, we could overshadow this Cosmology.


    We could having everyone within our grasp, and finally begin the path we were given. The mission that our masters desire us to achieve.


    Yet...


    Yet...


    Why do we have unfamiliar memories of already going through such an ordeal? Why is there a point where we actually achieve our eighth form, and stand above the Cosmos?


    [ ... ]


    This does not make sense.


    Nor does it add up.


    The current ''we'', already have unmatched power. We are innately above the Seven Cosmic Supremes?


    I can already restrict their powers, and give the world a fair start. Something we failed to achieve within the memories.


    This would... actually make a lot of things more interesting than the path we took within the memories as well.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Yet the memories themselves are a mystery.


    Each version of ourselves within each Cosmology is a different entity altogether. Yet the one within my memories, is directly us...


    As creations of those entities, we are innately above Existence, yet are affected by time? Strange. Howe I cannot glimpse these memories'' descent?


    They are not from the future us, for we are certainly above time, and already aware of the past and future, while also being immune to spatio-temporal influences.


    Nor are they portions inserted within our minds, for each of us within every Cosmology, are a singrity unique to ourselves.


    Our memories cannot be forged, for our memories are also a singrity. And they exist in but a single form, us...


    [ ... ]


    But worries aside, with such powerparable to our eighth form, yet still in our base form, would not the actions of letting every Existence of this world ept us... trigger our ninth form?


    Or rather, our first form, with power and range of influenceparable to our ninth form? A form necessary for theplete authority over this entire Existence?


    Even if the Seven Supremes appeared, would we not be capable of easily restraining them?


    And what if we achieve the illusory tenth form? The unachievable eleventh form? Or the unknown twelfth form?


    Would our heights ever stop ascending?


    [ ... ]


    Unfortunately with such powerparable to our eighth form, options such as Unique Professions, Forbidden Professions, World Expansion, Divinities, Hidden Legacies, Chaotic Assimtion, Realm Creations and Dimensional Exploration would be unlocked.


    That would eliminate eight ways for us to achieve our second (tenth) form. Or that was supposed to have been the case, until...


    [ An anomaly appeared ]


    We thought, as from the moment we appeared, a daredevil dared to bring his entire family to join our little charade. Without any hesitation, nor a waste of time.


    As a world full of suspicion towards foreigners, let alone alien entities such as ourselves, we expected to wait days before a single being chose to indulge us.


    Yet an anomaly urred...


    An anomaly, and an irregr.


    No, this entire family is strange, yet it is not up to us to mind that. What we should mind is whether we, will let things take their intended path ording to the memories.


    Or... change everything altogether?


    [ Change everything altogether ]


    We immediately came to such an agreement, and immediately imnted our agreement.


    And our first step, is to increase the chances of our first (ninth) form to take ce.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ One person has been bonded with The Primordial Source ]


    [ One person has been bonded with The Primordial Source ]


    [ One person has been bonded with The Primordial Source ]


    [ One person has been bonded with The Primordial Source ]


    Indeed, we advertised ourselves.


    We sent out information about the number of people who have participated into our ploy. That alone would allow the others to feel left out.


    Even though the number was notrge enough to do much change, it was still significant enough to tempt a few other beings.


    And to add salt onto the injury...


    [ One person has seeded their Trials ]


    [ For being the first to seed among their trial, they have obtained the godly (Unique) artifact; Mammoth Hammer ]


    [ They have obtained a bonus Grand Epithet: Man of ughter ]


    [ One person has seeded their Trials ]


    [ For being the second to seed among their trial, they have obtained the godly (Unique) artifact; Storm Chasers ]


    [ They have obtained a bonus Grand Epithet: Queen of The Dark ]


    [ More godly rewards, abilities, epithets and many more await ]


    [ ... ]


    We paused.


    And we waited.


    Such an action was not a loss on our side, as two godly artifacts were rare, but with our current form, it should be no problem to conjur.


    And of course, we will not give any other being godly artifacts, regardless if they are the third, forth or the hundredth to seed.

 Chapter 26 Uncalculculated Errors

    ?Those were words meant to only pull in more beings to join our side faster. As for the validity of our words, who would verify them? Did they have what it takes?


    This would bring hate and discontent towards us, yet did it matter? We thought otherwise. Their feelings were not even second-hand matters to us.


    They could cry and cuss for all we care.


    For did it matter, when our goal was full-filled? Unfortunately for them, no.


    But fortunately for us, our n seeded.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ One person has been bonded with The Primordial Source ]


    [ One person has been bonded with The Primordial Source ]


    [ One person has been bonded with The Primordial Source ]


    [ One person has been bonded with The Primordial Source ]


    [ One... ]


    [ One... ]


    ...


    One by one, beings from all over the world agreed to enter their Trials, and as more agreed, the pressure on others increased, and they soon hastily followed.


    Some still stayed and decided to watch what would happen next, and I did not mind. We were not in much of a rush... at least, we could wait a few days.


    We will just have to see where that would take them.


    Of course, a few races with strong foundations did not fall for our schemes.


    But I reckoned in a few days, when they realize the might and power of those that agreed, they would soon follow.


    And the Seven Great Churches, decided to not participate due to strongly believing one sidedly at the Seven Supremes.


    But we were still unperturbed.


    To add on... our next actions, would be favorable to those that joined us, and unfavorable to those that do not.


    At the end of the day, our focus is make sure they all participate in their Trials, and the simplest way to do that... just so happens to be the most ruthless way.


    [ ... ]


    And we shall take it!!!


    Regardless of which path, we have to take it, and traverse through it regardless of the oue it has upon the world... As long as it does not negatively affect its Providence.


    Everything else shall be second hand matters. We shall not be as naive as we were in the memories, and we shall strive for a path of Greater Creation.


    If no true Creator has ever existed, we shall be the first. If this entire Existential Facade is nothing but a lie, we shall convert it to nothing but a truth.


    We shall be true... Primordial.


    *** Juliette Silver ***


    Within a bloody field, corpses strewn everywhere, and rivers of blood flowing here and there, a man stood tall and valiant.


    From where I stood, I could see his valiant figure, staring down the tens of humanoid corpses torn and broken around him.


    His gaze was apathetic, his gray eyes reflecting nothing but calm anger and silent madness.


    "..."


    I did not know how to feel at such a sight. At the sight of the blue eyed daredevil I looked up to, shifting to a gray eyed godly being.


    I forgot how long we have been here for, but maybe ten, thirty or even sixty minutes have long since shed by. All I remember is spilled blood and endless fighting


    I thought as I moved my eyes from the man who stole my heart, to the bloodshed we caused from the moment we defeated the Void borne spirit.


    As far as I remember, I fell unconscious and woke up five minutester. And I woke to a sight of big brother defeating a water spirit.


    Before then, he had fought a ghost and won. It was something worth celebrating for, yet he was not happy. Nor was he calm.


    When I woke up and unsteadily walked towards him due to my weak condition, I heard him mutter the words, "Uncalcted Errors" to himself.


    Upon reaching him, I smiled lightly and tried to lighten the mood. I teasily pinched his waist and asked what him what he was secretly whispering about.


    His reply was, "There seems to be an error."


    "What error?" I asked back, focused on his calm expression not smiling at my tease.


    "From my knowledge, you were supposed to go through only four trials." He bluntly said, his eyes surveying the environment.


    But I did not understand. Did he not also think that his trials were over a moment ago? "That''s strange. What about your trials?" I asked.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "It''splicated..." He responded, then further exined why he imed it was such. I nodded my heard to his words, as it now made sense.


    "But what makes everything strange now? Since you are now going through your trials, whose to say the water spirit is not your trial?" I inquired once again.


    But what answered my words was not him, but a notification that came from The Primordial Source instead.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ Your partner has killed the Lvl 4 Water borne Spirit, Narrd. You have obtained 21,96 (22) units of Life Essece ]


    [ Bonus effect has been applied. You have individually obtained 43,9 (44) units of Life Essence. Your partner has obtained 57,03 (57) units of Life Essence ]


    [ Congrattions. You''ve obtained the following resources: Spirit Shard(Impure/Tier 1), Bracelet of Narrd(Superior) ]


    [ For defeating a trial opponent, you have obtained the following rewards: Extra Ability(¡Á1), Tier 1 Random Treasure Chest(¡Á1), Spirit Fragment(1/4) ]


    [ You have collected all the required Spirit Fragments to birth a Spirit. Would you like to fuse them? ]


    "..."


    I was surprised by thest notification, but more importantly, I was now affected by big brother''s words. ''Was something strange going on?'' I thought to myself.


    ''No, the act of jumping trough Time should be a problem in and of itself. So maybe a butterfly effect has taken ce?'' My thoughts continued, and I tried to tell it to him.


    "The butterfly effect is true. And I am not afraid it. I will do what I want to do, regardless of what effects it has on the overall timeline." He responded with such words.


    Then he added, "I never worried about the timeline to begin with. But this problem has nothing to do with the butterfly effect."


    He paused, then sighed and continued with his words, "The butterfly effect cannot affect potential. At least, it should not."


    Indeed, it should not be able able do such a thing. I further assured with a nod.


    "..."


    "..."


    Both of us then paused, and waited. The next trial would be big brother''s fifth trial, and the one after...


    We paused our thoughts and faced the opponent that appeared a momentter. It was a cyclops that stood at three meters tall, and had arge club in hand.


    Big brother was impatient and wanted to verify his thoughts, so did I. So we bothid waste of the poor fellow in less than a minute, big brother obtaining the rewards.


    Then we waited.


    We waited to verify if the next opponent would be my trial, or his trial, or if no trials would follow.


    The first suggested that this timeline was different from the one big brother came from, as I was quite talentedpared to when he remembered.


    While the second suggested that the limit of talents was not actually five trials, but that no one was monstrous enough to trigger the sixth trials and onwards.


    While thest suggested that everything was normal, and only a few, minor errors urred. In the form of my potential.


    "..."


    "..."


    Thus we waited with baited breathes. And what appeared after two minutes, made us hold our breathes even more.


    It was a spirit.


    One seemingly made out of nothing but Mana, as I could feel a powerful connection with it. Like the blue sparks I saw when absorbing Mana.


    "I guess this exins it. I appeared within a different timeline altogether?" Big brother thought out loud, as he prepared to fight the opponent.


    "Or maybe the me from the future lied about her true potential?" I suggested, and he paused, then frowned, thenter clicked his tongue. "I shouldn''t havepletely believed her."


    Did, did he have so much trust in me?


    I subconsciously smiled, then thought of another possibility either than the fact that I would lie to him, "Or maybe a chaotic effect took ce?"


    "A what?" He looked back at me in stupor and asked. Yes, I know. It''s a very confusing term, but it exists. "Let''s deal with this, and I''ll exin what I know."


    "..."


    He nodded and we simply took care of the Mana spirit, and I obtained the rewards. It''s was nameless, and it gave me an extra Mana Core.


    Anyway, "A chaotic effect is something small, or a small action that ultimately leads to a very magnificent change that affects everythingpletely."


    I said, and big brother nodded at my words. He then affirmed, "It''s like saying my appearance back in time, might have affected everything, and not just the timeline?"


    "Yes." I affirmed his words.


    A butterfly effect is like saying: A butterfly can p its wings, and that small, insignificant everyday action might result into a storm taking ce somewhere around the world.

 Chapter 27 The Hidden Trial

    ?Yet the range of influence is only regional. The world is not negatively affected, and so are the countless lives and the environment from othe regions.


    But a chaotic effect is as such: The harmless action of killing a single exotic bug within a forest, can result into a pandemic that negatively affects the world. And ultimately leading to the death of all life.


    Yet the cause of such a sever matter, was the action of seeminglessly stepping onto a bug. An unknown creature. Insignificant to the human mind, yet significant to the existence of life.


    Or in simple terms, "Its like saying a single butterfly can cause a tornado across the world, but if thousands upon thousands of butterfly did the same, at the exact same time..."


    "Would be devastating." He finished my sentence and I nodded at him. We were now waiting to verify if any other trials could appear, or if five trials really was the limit.


    "To what extent do you think your descent might have affected everything, if this really is a chaotic effect?" I suddenly thought, my eyes blinking at him with curiosity.


    "At minimum, mostly us. At maximum..." He then paused, as he looked ahead, the environment changed once again to resemble a forest.


    "At maximum?" I also followed his gaze, looking ahead as there, we could both see a giant red bear that stood at five meters tall when it stood upright.


    "...The whole structure." He sighed, and it seemed like his guess inched closer to thetter option, for... his sixth trial was about to ensure.


    I sighed, and we continued our treacherous battle against these trials.


    From the red giant bear, we next fought arge bird within the valleys, which represented big brother''s seventh trial.


    Later it was a golden earth mole which we fought underground, his eight trial.


    Followed by a group of seven to eightrge wolves, each at Level 9, being quite powerful and fast, yet we seeded.


    Thest trial we had so far was that against tens of zombies that rushed at us with inhuman speed and might, and also having terrifying defenses.


    Each with different Abilities.


    This was what caused big brother to go rabbid, as without leveling up, he for once, went all out and unleashed his Bloodline and childhood training to release the ughter machine humanity carefully forged.


    "..."


    I wonder... is something stilling even after this? Is this still even a trial?


    Or an unprecedented error?


    *** Narrative ***


    Damien stood at the top of at most ten corpses, looking down at the results of his rampage with apathy and no emotions.


    He could feel his blood boiling hot, so hot that he felt like he was going going burn. Yet at the same time, his mind was frozen, no thoughts shing within.


    The current him was no different than a zombie himself, for he had no thoughts, and was driven by instinct, intuition and his blood.


    "..."


    Reason? Intelligence? Rationale?


    All these were thrown out, and as he was just a killing machine. Worst of all, he was still himself. He was still Damien Gray.


    He was more than aware of that.


    Yet at the same time, he was aware of his nature. To kill. Of his current purpose. To kill. Of his next action. To kill.


    Far from him, Juliette only watched as she felt like something was wrong, yet her intuition did not respond whatsoever.


    Even her heart was calm, showing that her soul did not feel any threat from the killing machine in front of her.


    "..."


    And as the young maiden stared at the tall figure of Damien, The Primordial Source reacted and sent out a notification to both of them.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ You have made history, and seeded throughout all ten trials ]


    [ You have triggered the hidden stage: The Final Boss ]


    [ This is not Trial rted, and every participant has every right to pull back. Yet... if you stay and fight, you can reap great rewards, and unforseen treasures ]


    [ You have ten seconds to make your choice. Would you like to leave the trial grounds? ]


    [ YES ][ NO ]


    Juliette read through everything and looked towards Damien, who did not react whatsoever to the new notifications.


    Instead, he turned his head towards a certain direction. A direction she deemed to be threatful from her intuition, and natural born instincts.


    She even trembled from just following his nce, even though nothing could be seem from where she stood.


    [ 5 ]


    [ 4 ]


    [ 3 ]


    [ REPEAT: Would you like to leave the trial grounds? ]


    [ YES ][ NO ]


    [ 2 ]


    [ 1 ]


    Juliette did not agree, and just watched as the count down finally reached its end. And with that, more notifications followed after.


    [ 0 ]


    [ TING!!! ]<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ TING!!! ]


    Three notifications, colored blood red shed in front of her eyes, slightly making her hold her breathe, and focus on what was to follow.


    [ You have been trapped within a Draconic Mana Zone ]


    [ You have been affected by the "Discouraged" status effect. All Stats decreased by 20% ]


    [ You have been affected by the "Fear" status effect. All stats decreased by 25% ]


    [ You have been affected greatly by the Mana Zone due to being weak. "Will Break" status effect has been automatically applied. All stats have decreased by 30% ]


    [ Your stats have been overally decreased by 75% under the effects of the Draconic Mana Zone ]


    [ You have been affected by the "Mana Explosion" effect due to being weak. Mana absorption has been increased by 200% until the Domain is deactivated ]


    [ As someone favored by Mana, the effects have double specifically for you ]


    [ ... ]


    "..."


    Juliette could not believe her eyes no matter how much she read through everything. When she checked her stats, they were so low, she felt weak once again.


    There was no way she was going to survive what was toe. At least, not like this.


    She then looked up at Damien, and he stared back at her, his apathetic gray eyes shing briefly before he spoke. His words were melodic, yet his tone extremely cold.


    "Stay still and focus on absorbing Mana. You should be able to absorb four times more than normal with all your status effects." He concluded.


    "..."


    Juliette pursed her lips at his tone, but obediently did as he suggested.


    Thanks to being the first to manually learn Skills, she was aware with the boost of absorbing 200% more Mana than usual. Then her "Pioneer of Mana" Epithet gave her 100% increased Mana absorption.


    Throughout the twenty seven minutes that they had been fighting for after that battle with the Void borne spirit, she used two thirds of it absorbing Mana.


    And now, her Mana was quite vast. Over half way to what normal Apprentice had.


    Unfortunately, Damien was unaware that she could actually absorb seven times more Mana instead of just four.


    And she was not going to tell him. She was dissatisfied with the attitude he gave her. Yet deep down, she did not dislike it. But still dissatisfied nheless.


    "..."


    She pouted cutely, then crossed her legs to slowly begin to absorb Mana. She wanted to go over the limit of one hundred units that Apprentices had!!


    Meanwhile Damien did not give her much attention. He just stood before her, and set his gaze towards the direction where he felt a threatening presence looming over.


    In the mean time, he mentallymanded The Primordial Source to Level him up all the way towards the peak of mortality, and into the level of Apprentice-hood.


    [ TING!! ]


    [ You have leveled up ]


    [ TING!! ]


    [ You have leveled up ]


    [ TING!! ]


    [ You have leveled up ]


    [ TING!! ]


    [ You have leveled up ]


    [ TING!! ]


    [ You have leveled up ]


    [ Congrattions for bing the ninth ever Combatant to reach the peak of mortality. You have been awarded with 100 units of Life Essence, 1 free Stat Point and 1 free Ability Point ]


    [ Note: The Stat point can be distributed evenly among your base stats. Ability points can be used to Level up Abilities, and possibly, evolve them to the next level ]


    [ From here on forth, every level up increases all attributes by 0,1 Stat Points. With a ss, the distribution might differ ]


    [ Due to bing a First League Combatant, an extraordinary being, you can now absorb Mana to be capable of unleashing skills and inhuman feats ]


    [ Due to bing a First League Combatant, you have awakened your three extraordinary stats; Intelligence, Wisdom and Affinity ]


    [ Due to bing a First League Combatant, you can officially equip a ss/Sub-ss (Note: Wait until you have seeded your trials) ]


    [ Once you have seeded in absorbing Mana, you can view the information of your weapons, resources and materials while still within the Trials ]


    Damien skimmed through everyone. The reward was the same for all the top ten to first Level up. So he did not put much focus to it.


    What he was interested in was the fact that either than his small family of three, plus Juliette, there were actually five more people who went through their Trials, and became First League Combatants.


    Either through the Trial, or somehow outside, after they went through their Trial.


    After all, Damien and Juliette have been her for over 45 minutes now. That was a lot of time if one carefully thought about it.


    "..."

 Chapter 28 A Dragon

    ?He then moved on, as he used his single Stat point to carefully distribute it through the Wisdom Stat to give himself 1,0 point worth of magic defense value.


    He then called out his Temte.


    [ Name: Damien Gray ]


    [ Mana: 0 units ]


    [ Epithet: First Blood ]


    [ ss: Lvl 6 ssless (0/90) ]


    [ Sub-ss: None ]


    [Alignment: Unknown ]


    [ Stats: STR - 34,2 || AGI - 7,59 || END - 46,0 || INT - 0,1 || WIS - 1,0 || AFF - ¡ª ]


    [ Stat Points: 0 || Ability Points: 1 ]


    [ Abilities: None ]


    [ Equipment(10): Spear Head(Superior), Gray Mask(Superior), Bracelet of Oid(Superior), Phantom Cloak(Superior), Heidi''s Club(Superior), Red Cloak(Superior), Wings of Ash(Superior), Gouge Maker(Superior), Seven-Pieced Boomerang(Perfected Superior), Undying Ten Piece Armor(Perfected Superior) ]


    [ Resources(12): Tier 1 Treasure Chest(¡Á10), Demon Fragment(1/7), Angel Fragment(1/7), False Angel Feathers(¡Á36), Spirit Shard(2/4), Tier 1 Monster Core(¡Á1), Hardened Bones(¡Á16), Extra Sharp Beak(¡Á1), Mole ws(¡Á8), Tier 1 Beast Cores(¡Á7), Memory Shards(¡Á10), Tier 1 Undying Vine(¡Á1) ]


    It seemedpletely different from what it used to be. And the major differences were his stats, that became far monstrouspared to what mortals could unleash.


    And his Equipment and Resources. They were above ten at minimum, which made sense as he went over ten Trials by himself.


    As for his Mana, it was zero due to suddenly breaking through to the First League right now.


    He then decided to equip a few equipment as he realized that theing threat was not something he could take lightly at all. Especially with only 25% of his stats.


    He wore the [Gray Mask] which increased agility by 10%, the [Bracelet of Oid] which increased agility by 5% and magic defense by 10%, the [Red Cloak] which increased endurance by 10% and the [Wings of Ash] which increased agility by 10%.


    They further went to increase agility by 10% when flying. But he was not done. He wore the [Undying Ten Piece Armor], which increased both his strength and endurance by 20%.


    Then finally, he wielded both the [Seven-Pieced Boomerang] and [Heidi''s Club], which both increased his strength by 20% and 15% respectively, and agility by 20%.


    Overall, the current Damien was armed for war, being 55% stronger, 45% faster and endurance increased by 30%. As well as magic defense by 10% as well.


    Juliette behind him was still not aware of this. And of how her Damien looked funny with the mismatched gear he wore.


    "..."


    Damien did not take that into mind, and instead watched as a shadow flying at extreme speed within the clouds was heading towards their way.


    The shadow was beyond sonic speed, and was quiterge. It''s close-appearing visage was apanied by a mighty, and magnificent Roar.


    ROOOAAARRR!!!


    An Earth shaking roar broke out from the sky, like thunder, like the a god''s maddened roar, and like the end of the world, it shook every living being hearing it to the core.


    ...!!!


    Juliette felt her concentration easily broken, her facepletely turning pale with fright.


    She hurriedly opened her eyes and looked up, only for her mouth to hang open in shock andbewilderment at what she saw.


    Magnificent.


    Deific.


    Such words hung within her mind when her eyesid themselves upon the gigantic creature suspending itself within the sky, it''s wings spreading out with a wingspan of over fifteen meters.


    "..."


    It''s body was metallic, or rather, the glimmer shing over its skin made it seem so. But it was not indeed as such.


    Instead, those were its scales.


    It''s draconic head stared down at both creatures with a gaze of disdain. It''s golden eyes shing with nothing but majesty.


    It was a dragon.


    "You should not worry yourself with that thing." Damien spoke from the side, and casually threw a ck cloak towards her.


    Juliette looked up at him, and the first impression she got from his attire was ''Strange.''


    But she did not put much focus into it, and instead wore the cloak that he gave her. Once worn, it gave her the impression that she was airy and transparent.


    And because she had Mana, the hidden effect of the cloak kicked in, and erased her presence, making her feel like a ghost.


    Thus included her threat value to the dragon. She would seem as harmless as a piece of rock to it with the cloak on. Maybe even less harmless than a rock.


    Damien then added, "You should focus on nothing but increasing your Mana reserves. This is not something you can try and fight with the current debuffs you have."


    "Hm." Juliette nodded, and once again nced up at the creature onest time. Appreciating what she was seeing for the first time.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    With that over, she once again closed her eyes and concentrated on absorbing more Mana. As for the status effects and the presence of the dragon, they of course did affect her.


    But she had absolute trust in Damien.


    It was so solidified and absolute that, her will seemed to temporarily ignore all the negative effects on her mentality.


    "..."


    Damien saw this, and then also gazed up at the dragon with apathy. The dragon likewise gazed back down at him with majesty.


    A momentter, Damien suddenly smiled. For once, within the current state he was in, he smiled. And it was a smile of pure madness and disdain.


    Yet his gaze was still apathetic.


    "..."


    The dragon also did not flinch back at Damien''s silent murderous intent. Instead, as it pped its wings, it suddenly took in arge breathe of air causing its head to reel in backwards.


    This action caused the dragon''s chest to puff out, and glow in a magma-like orange-red glow.


    The glow then silently, yet speedily traveled from the dragon''s chest, along its neck, illuminating its neck in the same glow, then moving on to its mouth, where wisps of mes threatened to erupt out like a volcano.


    Damien of course, would not just stand by and wait for pain to arrive.


    He immediately kicked off the ground, and with frightening speed rivaling that of a jet traveling at full speed, he burst off forward.


    Such an act was inhuman, even for the mortals of the great andrge Gaea. And because it was multiple Leagues above the norm, especially for someone his level, he triggered a notification.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ An achievement made!! ]


    [ Do to reaching unachievable speeds through sheer force and will, without the aid of Skills and Abilities, you have automaticallyprehended the Extra Ability, "Enhanced Speed" ]


    Damien knew about this, and did not put much focus into it. What he focused on was his speed increasing once again thanks to the permanent boost of the Ability.


    He became twice as fast thanks to the passive boost, and likewise surpassed mortal restrictions.


    The dragon did not take Damien lightly, and still with the hazardous mes within its mouth held back, it chased after him, not being one bit slower than him.


    Boom!!


    Boom!!


    Two sonic booms exploded out, one after another, as human, and dragon, yed a game of tag around the valley.


    "..."


    Juliette was left behind, sitting cross legged as she did her absolute best to ignore the temptateous sounds of battle, and to just focus on her Mana.


    Meanwhile, Damien ran at his top speed, being so fast, everything else around him seemed as iprehensible blurs of light.


    And the dragon itself was top on his hill, being only a few hundred meters behind him, a trail of mes seeping out of its mouth.


    But that did not seem to bother the majestic dragon much, and it instead kept pushing itself forward with its wings, shattering the sound barrier from time to time.


    "..."


    Damien, who was still running ahead, suddenly used more strength than needed to take the next step, hence propelling himself forward at an elevated altitude.


    The dragon followed his figure, and slowly loosened it''s jaw, causing more mes to seep out and threatening to erupt greatly.


    But Damien was an experienced fellow.


    His every action was calcted. And so was this one, for as he rose up at an elevated altitude, still with the same speed, hended at the waist level of a tall mountain stretching up for kilometers on end.


    His speed and momentum caused him tond heavily onto the mountain, forcefully pressing it inwards within a circr range of ten to fifteen meters.


    Yet Damien himself seemed unphased, and without paused, forcefully kicked off the mountain and sent himself backwards... towards the dragon.


    At the same time,


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ An achievement made!! ]


    [ Do to unleashing unachievable strength through sheer force and will, without the aid of Skills and Abilities, you have automaticallyprehended the Extra Ability, "Enhanced Strength" ]


    His already terrified strength even when restricted by the multiple status effects, suddenly increased by ten times, causing his blood to boil in excitement.


    ...!!!


    The dragon, which was flying at fast speeds was caught off guard by Damien''s figure flying towards it, with his fist outstretched.


    And with pure instincts, it hurriedly ducked down, and allowed Damien''s terrifying figure to fly past it. But thanks to that, it heavily crashed down shoulder first as it had lost bnce.

 Chapter 29 Juliettes Thoughts

    ?Damien also crashed into a small hill, andpletely reduced it to rumbles and dust, hence triggering yet another round of notifications.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ An achievement made!! ]


    [ Do to showing unachievable defense through sheer force and will, without the aid of Skills and Abilities, you have automaticallyprehended the Extra Ability, "Enhanced Endurance" ]


    Damien used his powerful strength to forcefully push off the boulders and rocks burying him, and stood up, his expression null, with but a single sadistic smile on his lips.


    "..."


    The dragon also stood up, and growled towards Damien''s direction. The insides of it''s mouth were orange-red, with a tinge of gold, and one could also see boilingva within its neck.


    "Grrrr..."


    The dragon, angered, pushed itself off the ground by pping its wings, kicking up a small wind storm thay pushed away at the sorounding debris and dust.


    Damien stood atop the pile of rocks he was buried in, and just stared at it unphased. And his actions, and gaze seemed to fuel the anger of the dragon even more.


    ROOOAAARRR!!!


    And angered to the extremes, it released a powerful roar, and released a turbulent st ofpressed orange-red magma towards Damien.


    And Damien just watched, with no intent of moving whatsoever.


    "..."


    BOOM!!


    The st of orange-red magma struck home, exactly at Damien and forcefully melted the sorounding rocks he was standing on.


    Yet even with how powerful the st came, it did not seem to have the strength to forcefully push Damien backwards. And he just stood there, taking the brunt of the damage.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ An achievement made!! ]


    [ Do to bearing unbearable magic damage through sheer force and will, without the aid of Skills and Abilities, you have automaticallyprehended the Extra Ability, "Enhanced Magic Defense" ]


    [ You have been affected by "Burn". Your vitality will slowly he drained until thirty seconds are over ]


    "..."


    Damien nodded to himself as he finally allowed the torrential st of magma to push him off the piles of rocks, and throw him tens of meters away like a ragdoll.


    Without the artifacts he wore, he would not have done such an action. But luckily, he had them. And his terrifying physical defenses.


    He looked at himself, and the artifacts he wore were quite badly damaged. Though they still functioned, they were still quite damaged to an extent.


    ''It''s alright. My magic defense has increased by ten times. And if I had Mana, I could increase it once again for a certain duration of time. Unfortunately, time is not on my side.''


    Damien thought and stood up. He had had enough, and was time to take things seriously.


    Plus, AFFINITY and INTELLIGENCE could not be increased threefold the same way he increased the others, unless he manually grind by attacking with spells, or other supernatural attack methods.


    "Plus, who knew I''d be fighting a dragon?"


    Indeed. Dragons were one of the top seven major races. Their starting stats would be monstrous even at just the Advanced Realm.


    Of course, real dragons, even the newborn ones are far above such a low Realm of strength. In fact, they were natural born Third Leagues.


    Monsterspared to First League Combatant like the current them.


    *** Juliette Silver ***


    Bang!!


    Boom!!


    "..."


    My eyshes quivered slightly, and my attention was almost broken through, thanks to the chorus of explosions and small quakes. The battle seems amazing.


    Eyes closed, I slightly frowned. My lips pursed in annoyance and I did my absolute best not to be tempted at all.


    Bang!!


    Boom!!


    Boom!!


    ...Only to no avail. It was hard to focus when the battle taking ce gave one the impression that it was not a human battling.


    Yes, I know big brother is from the future, but does that exin much of the feats he would be doing right now? Does it?


    I really want to watch.


    Especially as he is fighting the legendary dragon. A battle between my knight, and the dragon that wants to kidnap the princess (which is me).


    Who would want to miss out on that?


    Worst of all, I have been battling this feeling for over forty minutes now. For forty, whole, minutes.


    I am tired now.


    Boom!!


    I gave up and opened my eyes.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    And immediately gazed towards the direction where the ruckus was taking ce, and my jaw hung open in shock at what I was seeing.


    A man.


    And a dragon.


    Really going at it.


    "..."


    I had just so happened to catch big brother Damien flying towards the dragon with his almost broken pair of wings, that shimmered a brief golden radiance.


    Something I believed was Mana.


    He flew at speeds that I could never dream about matching, as he collided heavily into the dragon that zed with mes and wind.


    The collision led both parties forcefully moving towards the direction of the dragon, due to big brother having more momentum, I thought as such from my observations.


    Boom!!


    They then collided onto the ground, slightly quaking the earth, and they slid across the ground for a few meters creating a deep trench.


    Big brother all the while, being above the dragon.


    He then began throwing punches at the dragon, each one releasing thunderous sounds everywhere. I could hear it from here for goodness sake.


    Bang!! Bang!!


    Bang!! Bang!!


    Four consecutive strikes, which from my perspective, seemed really painful. But the dragon thought otherwise.


    During the punches, it''s thick tail hurriedly rose up, and like a sh of lightning, struck towards big brother Damien as he had finished throwing his fourth punch.


    He also hurriedly paused his actions and used arms to cover the sides of his head, while he slightly lowered it to his chest for protection.


    Bang!!


    And with that, he was struck by the giant tail and sent flying away for tens of meters, until he crashed into a small hill, and reduced it to rumbles, while his figure continued flying back until it struck arger mountain.


    "..."


    The mountain which he was thrown with seemed to be too great, as he was almost imnted onto the mountain, and his collision caused web-like cracks to spread out.


    Was this not a battle among gods?


    Was this still a battle of mortals?!


    I thought with my mouth still wide open, hanging agar with shock and bewilderment swimming within my eyes. Until.


    "You''d better use this time for something better than just staring. You aren''t gonna learn nothing... uhh, from this anyway." A voice drifted towards my ears from afar.


    I hurriedly looked at big brother Damien who forcefully removed himself from the mountain, and slightly flexed his joints and twisted his neck.


    He was hundreds of meters away from me, yet his voice easily reached me? I was surprised and impressed. Was he really a god?


    No. Of course I know that.


    He just used Mana. From my gaze, I could see a golden glow gathered around his throat, which I now believed was definitely Mana.


    And if that was that, I controlled my own Mana, and circted it out my heart through my veins, and all the way to my throat. Then I slowly opened my mouth and breathed out.


    Yet my breathe that came out felt dense and heavy, and sounded as if it was tiredly panting instead. Which was a good sign. Or so I thought.


    "Roger." And to prove that, I responded to his words, my Mana still within my throat.


    The sound waves that were supposed to flow out of my mouth were enhanced by Mana, and managed to travel all the way to big brother Damien.


    He paused, and looked towards my direction, then rushed towards the dragon a secondter. I presume he was surprised? Maybe.


    I watched his dashing figure sprint towards the dragon and continue their battle. And from how things seemed, they were not going to stop anytime soon.


    I sighed, and was about to continue absorbing Mana when it finally downed on me. ''Wait, how did big brother Damien absorb Mana, if he has been fighting all this while?''


    I thought. And it was a very rich thought.


    How?


    Was the question.


    I set my gaze on him once again, and tried to understand what was going on. And from my vision, I could see golden hues of Mana moving towards big brother Damien.


    They moved swiftly and fluently entered his nose, like oxygen. The Mana was then carried with the oxygen he inhales, and sent towards his heart.


    Along the way, the Mana would cleanse his body and release the impurities held within.


    And when he exhaled the carbon dioxide, it also released the impurities alongside it. He was absorbing Mana, refining his body, and breathing at the same time?


    Was such a thing possible?


    Or was it a thing of the future as well? It made more sense for it to be that case. I thought as I nodded to myself, and decided to try it as well.


    But before that, I set my gaze on the dragon. I was also curious how this big fe was circting his Mana.


    "..."

 Chapter 30 Dragon Slayers

    ?And upon a single nce, I was bbergasted. Was, was this even possible? No, what the hell am I even looking at here?


    I thought in shock.


    From my sight, I could see something resemnt of millions of golden sparks within the body of the dragon, making up a portion of its entire being.


    While the majority was just Mana veins.


    If I''m correct, the millions or so golden sparks were actually cells. The dragon''s cells. It pumped them up with Mana and thus transformed them into apparitions?


    Or spirit cells?


    I deduced, and wrecked my brain to find a solution. Yet could not arrive to a conclusion no matter how much I tried.


    ''Let''s forget about it for now. I don''t even know how much Mana each cell contains anyway.'' I thought, and decided to first try the Mana breathing method.


    I took a deep breathe of air, then held it, and released it a momentter. ''Alright, I got it. Let''s give it a try now.''


    My thoughts kept moving as I took a normal breathe of air this time. At the same time, I was concentrating and absorbing Mana.


    I made sure to absorb it through my nose, which I was not sure if it was possible at first or not. Fortunately, it was very much possible as I felt Mana enter my nose.


    I felt golden hues of light rush to my nose, and tried to drown them, which caused me to break concentration and stop my actions. Also breaking out into a cough fit.


    "..."


    Momentster, I let out a breathe of relief and decided to try again. Yet slowly this time around, for I had learned my lesson. The hard way.


    I took a breathe of air, and focused on the Mana that was rushing to my nose. I made sure to hold my breathe, and only let in a portion of the Mana to enter.


    Breathe still held, I guided the Mana through my will to follow the oxygen entering my body all the way to my heart, while making sure to cleanse the impurities within my body.


    It was a bit hard, but overally I managed to do so. I just had to be extra careful and delicate. This was my body after all.


    When my heart finally epted my Mana, I finally let out the breathe I''ve been holding in. Then I repeated the process eight to nine times, before I managed to do it manually.


    Then at that moment, a chime rang within my head, one that I was now more than used to hearing.


    But It still did not feel right, or as fluent as it was supposed to. I frown at such a discovery, and decided to study the two god-like monsters fighting.


    Myprehension was on full alert, and I entered a trance-like state. I wasprehending the two technique both beings were using to absorb Mana,paring them, then filtering the errors one had, that the other did not.


    I alsobined the positive points of both techniques, and filtered out the ones that were less positive than the other.


    And from my meticulous study which I was not sure took how long, I managed to see that what big brother was using, was actually not any lesser than that of the dragon''s.


    Maybe that''s why he can battle it out with it? I thought, while continuing with my study,bination and filtration of the two godly techniques.


    At the same time, ideas appeared within my mind, giving me epiphany and showing me things that one could do with Mana, that I never thought possible.


    Especially so, pertaining to the two techniques I was putting my all into studying. For example, mortals require oxygen to survive, hence they breathe it in.


    Same for Mana. Supernatural beings require it for the sake of being able to do what they do, and to be even more powerful, hence we absorb it.


    But, but, what if we were to say that it was the same for Mana? It required us to absorb it, so that it has any value at all.


    So instead of absorbing Mana, why don''t we let it absorb us? We refine it, and it refines us? We be stronger, and it bes purer!!


    Is, is such a thought poss¡ª


    [ TING!!! ]


    *** Narrative ***


    Juliette set at the same position she had always sat on, and watched the battle continue even now as we speak.


    It had to be known, twenty minutes have shed by since she did something crazy, and was nowprehending the situation around herself.


    Or rather, about herself!!


    [ Name: Juliette Silver ]


    [ Mana: 1 458 000 units ]


    [ Epithet(2): First Blood(Grand), Pioneer of Mana(Grand->) ]


    [ ss: Lvl 6 ssless (0/90) ]


    [ Sub-ss: None ]<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    [Alignment: None ]


    [ Stats: STR - 15,0 || AGI - 2,25 || END - 12,1 || WIS - 6,0 || INT - 6,0 || AFF - 101,0 ]


    [ Stat Points: 0 || Ability Points: 1 ]


    [ Abilities(3) : Mana Control(1), Mana Enhancement(1), Mana Construction(1) ]


    [ Techniques(1): Mana Incorporation(Unique) ]


    [ Equipment(2): Bracelet of Norde(Superior), Bracelet of Sarrd(Superior), Bracelet of Barrd(Superior), Bracelet of Narrd(Superior), Mana Bracelet(Perfect Superior) ]


    [ Resources(4): Tier 1 Random Treasure Chest(¡Á5), Spirit Fragment(6/4), Tier 1 Spirit Shard(¡Á5), Mana Core(¡Á1) ]


    "..."


    She went through her Temte, and the first thing she could point out, was the Mana she had. It was well over one million units.


    She did not know how great it was, but it was definitely way above what an Apprentice should normally have at this level.


    As for why she had such high Mana, it was thanks to the notifications that appeared around twenty minutes ago when she thought of a crazy idea.


    It went like;


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ An oustanding achievement made!! ]


    [ You are the second toprehend the highest rated, rare ranked mortal technique, "Mana Breathing". Due to your meticulous deeds, the rank of the mortal technique has risen by one level ]


    [ You haveprehended the unique technique, "Mana Incorporation" ]


    "..."


    And the definition was as such;


    [ Mana Incorporation (UNIQUE) :- A Mana breathing technique beyond the constricts of mortalhood and ascenders. It allows a person to increase their Mana by simply breathing. The Mana breathed in every second, equals 500% of what a person can absorb through bitter cultivation. Can also cleanse the body with every breathe of Mana that is absorbed. Once continually cleansed, there is a high chance an innate born physique can appear within the being''s Physiology. Once an Affinity is grasped, more functions can be essed ]


    That alone was terrifying, but so were her Abilities, including the newlyprehended [Mana Construction].


    [ Mana Control (EXTRA) :- The fluent Maniption of Mana like the extention of one''s limbs. Mana can be easily felt, sensed and weilded however the user deems fit ]


    [ Mana Enhancement (EXTRA) :- The ability to fluently course Mana within one''s Mana Veins, to temporarily boost their overall stats by 100% for a duration of five minutes ]


    [ Mana Construction (EXTRA) :- The abstruse level of Mana influence, that allows the user to shape the incorporal form of Mana, and solidify it into any shape they like ]


    Such was the terrifying power of Juliette. Or so she thought. Then there was the Epithet she had, that evolved into a new stage due to her actions.


    Things went like;


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ You have pioneered into a godly phase of Mana, and are deserving of the Mythical Ranked Epithet, "Grand Mana Pioneer" ]


    [ To evolve your Epithet into a Mythical Rank, you are to undergo a small trial that would require you to transcend your Mana reserves for your Realm of power ]


    [ Grand Mana Pioneer -> To be a Grand Mana Pioneer, someone loved and adored by Mana more than even spirits, you are to transcend your Mana reserves by a thousand times. A genius of your level can transcend their reserve by five thousand times innately, hence you are required to have Mana five million times more than the rightful Mana reserves of your current Realm ]


    She was met with thus right after she obtained the Unique Technique, "Mana Incorporation". And this was out of this world, for she had to have over five hundred million Mana reserves to obtain such an Epithet?


    While being an Apprentice at that?!


    And that was not all, there were the bracelets she had, four of which had the same functions, with one being above the others.


    [ Bracelet of Norrd(Superior): An artifact that enhances the Mana recovery rate of the user by 5%. Mana absorption is also increased by 5%. Fire resistance increased by 10% ]


    All four of them had the same effects, with the others having their own respective elements which they gave her resistance to. Then thest one became different.


    [ Mana Bracelet(Perfect Superior): An artifact that enhances the Mana recovery rate of the user by 30%. Mana absorption is also increased by 30%. Mana cost is reduced by 10% ]


    "..."


    These were all her charms, and blessings.


    Unfortunately, she was bored even with such status and power. Even watching Damien fight was no longer enough stimuli to excite her.


    Thus she decided toy down.

 Chapter 31 Class Creation I

    ?She could automatically absorb Mana anyway, so it did not hurt anyone to just rx.


    And to rx, she did.


    Time went by, and the intensity of the fight was still on going. They had been fighting for an hour, and yet were not tired?


    Such monsters.


    She thought, and another ten minutes shed by. She then found herself so bored, she fell asleep on the cold ground.


    Time was irrelevant to them at this point. They... might stay here for a while.


    ...


    Boom!!


    A loud sound rang out, and the ground shook as if a small earth quake took ce. "Hmm? What, what is..." Juliette woke up and set up, yawning as she did so.


    She then rubbed her eyes and surveyed the environment. Momentster, she saw the blurry image of a giant creature not far away, which became clear by the moment.


    "A Dragon?" She wondered, then it clicked to her that they were fighting against a dragon, and where she was. "Oh? Is it over already?"


    She thought out loud, and was answered by a series of notifications within her mind.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ Congrattions!! You have sessfully cleared the once-off Hidden Trial: Dragon Conquest ]


    [ You have been awarded 130 units of Life Essence. Due to being a League lower, the obtained Life Essence has been doubled ]


    [ Bonus effect has been applied. You have obtained 520 units of Life Essence ]


    [ Your partner is currently unconscious. Repeat. Your partner is currently unconscious. The Trial rewards will be obtained by you ]


    [ You have obtained the following resources: Tier 1 Dragon Shard, Tier 1 Random Treasure Chest, Veil of Dragon''s Blood Essence, An Unknown ck Stone, Tier 1 Storage Ring ]


    [ You have obtained the following artifacts: Dragon Whip(Perfect Superior), Dragon Canon(Perfect Superior), Dragon Scale Shield(Perfect Superior) ]


    [ You have obtained an Epithet: Dragon yer ]


    [ Note: The Trials will end in after ten minutes. Please use this time wisely ]


    [ ... ]


    Juliette was surprised by the numerous notifications threatening to cloud her vision, but most importantly, "Damien!!!"


    She called out and hastily stood up, rushing towards the site of the battle. Where the dragon''s body fell, to be more precise.


    She easily arrived near the ce where the dragon''s gigantic bodyy, and besides it, was the body of the man she adoredying down there.


    She sighed in relief as she saw that he was still in one piece, then went up to him and gently nudged him to wake him up.


    It did not take long for Damien to wake up, and sit up. Juliette sighed in relief once again and told him about what happened, and how long he was out cold.


    "Oh? Then don''t waste time, go sit above the chest of the dragon and cultivate. The effects would be great." Damien told her and stood up, ignoring the ache all over his body.


    "..."


    Juliette wanted to say something but kept quiet. She just silently, and obediently did as he suggested.


    Meanwhile Damien walked towards the dragon''s body. He tore off arge piece off its scales, and let blood gush out forming a small pool. He sat within the pool cross legged, and began medidating.


    At the same time, he drank the "Veil of Dragon''s Blood Essence" and also ate the "Dragon''s Shard" as well, boosting his Physiology greatly.


    Time went by, and Juliette cultivated her Mana, while Damien did the same thing over and over again, changing locations every minute, when the nutrients within the blood were gone.


    Juliette realized that she was absorbing more Mana than usual. She believed it was the location she sat on. And also because of her new Epithet.


    [ Dragon yer (GRAND) :- Beings who have gone out and yed a dragon. Only lower existential beings than the dragon''s, are capable of such titles when ying a dragon. The weaker, the higher the chances. Has the effects of attracting hatred and interest from other dragons, and an increased 50% damage dealt to dragons, and a -5% damage recieved from dragons. Ability: Increases All Stats by 50%, and Mana absorption by 100% ]


    This increased her Mana absorption greatly once more, making her absorb Mana 24 units every second. She would probably have over ten million Mana units after this.


    After eight minutes, Damien stopped his actions and began ramsacking the dragon''s corpse. From its horns, to its eyes, to its tongue, its ws, some important organs such as lungs and heart, and finally, all its scales.


    Including its reverse scales. He collected everything into the Tier 1 Storage Ring, which had a ten cubic meter area. He also threw in everything they collected so far, their resources and their artifacts.


    After that, both stood side by side and watched the iplete dragon corpse as time clicked by. And soon enough, The Primordial Source appeared.


    [ Congrattions!! You have finished all your Trials and the Hidden Trial ]


    [ The exclusive reward for the Hidden Trial includes a self-customization function ]


    [ Self-Customization Function: You have every right, to an absolute effect, to customize yourself like a digital character. You can distribute and redistribute Stat points, change minute features of yourself and many more ]


    [ Would you like to use the function? ]<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "..."


    Damien was surprised, as such a function was new to him. Even throughout the past timeline, even those monsters like future Juliette could not freely do this with their authorities.


    "...Big brother, this is?" Meanwhile Juliette inquired about this, and Damien told her about everything he knew about it. Nada. Complete Nada.


    After a moment of silence, they ended up both agreeing. For the only reason being their were curiosity.


    [ Self-Customization taking ce ]


    [ Please wait... Please wait... ]


    [ TING!!! ]


    Damien then found himself transported to apletely white zone. There was nothing around him either than himself, a holographic version of him, and a Temte.


    He then checked out the Temte.


    [ Name: Damien Gray ]


    [ Mana: 14 567 units ]


    [ Stats: STR - 0 || AGI - 0 || END - 0 || INT - 0 || WIS - 0 || AFF - 0 ]


    [ Stat Points: 1,500 || Ability Points: 1 ]


    [ 1 Stat Point = 0,1 Ability Point ]


    [ 1 Stat Point = 10 Mana units ]


    Damien saw everything, and he was impressed. This was also easy to understand. As for whether he needed to overthink this, it was unnecessary.


    "Distribute my stats each with 100 points, and save the rest." He said, and easily waited for whether something else will take ce or not.


    These stats were the ones he obtained, boosted by the abilities he recieved, and further reinforced by the blood of a dragon, added altogether.


    And the fact that he ate a "Dragon Shard" which was like a Dragon''s Core, and drank its blood Essence, he was no different than a Dragonborne right now.


    Yet was still just purely mortal.


    Or so he thought.


    And another reason Damien chose to equally distribute his stats was because they were still high nheless.


    100 points on STR and END was strength worth 1000 tons of damage and defense. 100 points on AGI was worth over sonic speed. 100 points on INT and WIS was worth a kilomter range worth of magic damage and magic defense values.


    As a First League Combatant, he had higher values to his index. More like double those of Civilians to be precise.


    Then as for AFF, once again, that could be ignored. But 100 points at least meant greater resistance to elements and the likes.


    As for whether he was now overpowered or not? He did not think so, when they were gods who had a very higher value to their index, and higher stats than all hisbined.


    And those were the weaker gods, whom weren''t even battle ready fellows. Let alone the war gods and the other powerful gods that had powerful physical qualities.


    Seeing hisck of response, The Primordial Source sent out yet another notification.


    [ Would you like to modify your appearance? ]


    "No." Damien sternly denied.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ You have seeded your trials and have been be one of the one hundred and one people to seeded your Trials ]


    [ You have a chance to choose amongst the following sses; ]


    [ "Doom-bringer(Unique)" "Chain Breaker(Unique)" "Blessed One(Lesser Divine)" "Deathless(Legendary)" "Death God(Unique)" "Immortal Presider(Greater Divine)" "Cultivator(Hidden)" "Spear Man(Ordinary)"... ]


    "..."


    Damien was bbergasted at the long list of sses, most being Ordinary sses, but some having Unique, Legendary, Divine and even Hidden sses!!


    This was not there within the previous timeline, which proved that he was either within a different timeline altogether, or he triggered the ao called chaotic effect.


    ''But, how could going back through time enable such a thing? I don''t understand.'' He thought and scrolled down the list, looking for a ss that would be suitable for him.


    There were no Exclusive sses so far, which he guessed they would be none, for such sses were not within the ranks of sses to begin with.


    And even then, the only reason they were pleasant and worth fighting for, was because they had potential to ascend all the way to bing a Hidden ss.


    Yet, there were Hidden sses now. Why would he want to put himself at a disadvantage? Choosing a Unique ss did not mean you could reach very high.

 Chapter 32 Class Creation II

    ?The end point potential for such a ss was merely godhood. While the potential of Hidden sses were unknown, possibly even going beyond the level of The Seven Supremes.


    So why would Damien hesitate?


    Plus, there were only eight Hidden sses left at the moment. Damien went through them, and carefully thought of which one to choose for himself.


    Even if it was not exclusive to him, it would still make him a threat to reckon with, he thought. But at this moment, The Primordial Source came up with a notification.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ As someone who has defeated the Hidden Trial, you have obtained the right to create a ss for yourself ]


    [ Would you like to create the visage of your ss? ]


    [ YES ][ NO ]


    "..."


    Damien''s eyes widened in shock as such an aspect was unbelievable to him. He thought about it for a moment, and chose yes.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ Creating the Visage of a never before seen ss. What name would you like to give it? ]


    Damien thought about it for a moment, and then easily came up with a name. It was one that had many meanings for himself, someone from the future, with a clear purpose.


    "The Absolute." He said.


    [ What would the purpose of the ss be? ]


    "To be Absolute. To embody Absolute. To transcend Absolute. To create Absolute." Damien spouted out all the delusions he had within his mind, to test the limit of The Primordial Source.


    After all, "Absolute" was an abstruse concept that even the Seven Supremes would not im topetely transcend or be able to create.


    [ What would the rating of the ss be? "Ordinary""Unique""Legendary""Lesser Divine""Greater Divine""Supreme Divine""Hidden""Cryptic" ]


    "...It''s actually possible?" Damien thought to himself as The Primordial Source did not hint otherwise. He also saw a grade of ss that he never knew anything pertaining to.


    Cryptic.


    And because he knew nothing about it, and it was full of the unknowns, and obviously above the Hidden grade, he chose it. He was not a daredevil for nothing.


    "Cryptic." He lightly said.


    [ Congrattions!! Your ss has been created, and The Primordial Source is currently modifying it to suit its Creator ]


    [ Please wait a moment. This might take a while longer than expected ]


    "...Seriously? It works?" Damien thought, so shocked that his blood ran cold and his eyes returned to their ocean blue shade. His expressions also became more lifelike.


    [ ... ]


    Damien was more than shocked and decides to just wait it out. There was nothing he could do for now anyway.


    *** Juliette Silver ***


    [ Name: Juliette Silver ]


    [ Mana: 1 998 678 units ]


    [ Stats: STR - 0 || AGI - 0 || END - 0 || INT - 0 || WIS - 0 || AFF - 0 ]


    [ Stat Points: 150 || Ability Points: 1 ]


    [ 1 Stat Point = 0,1 Ability Point ]


    [ 1 Stat Point = 10 Mana units ]


    I was presented with such a Temte, alongside a holographic figure of myself the moment I appeared within this white room.


    I immediately understood what I was to do, and easily went to it. I distributed most of my free Stat points towards my INT, WIS and AFF.


    I felt like the higher the AFF, the more in tune with Mana I can be? I''m not sure, for it was but a temporary feeling.


    I sent 40 points to each of the above mentioned, and shared the remaining 30 to the ones I did not mention. I did not want to be weak after all, even if I desired to forge a path of Mana for myself.


    The Temte easily changed to;


    [ Name: Juliette Silver ]


    [ Mana: 98 678 units ]


    [ Stats: STR - 10,0 || AGI - 10,0 || END - 10,0 || INT - 40,0 || WIS - 40,0 || AFF - 40,0 ]


    [ Stat Points: 0 || Ability Points: 1 ]


    [ 1 Stat Point = 0,1 Ability Point ]


    [ 1 Stat Point = 10 Mana units ]


    I still felt like 10 points was more than enough for me to be physically fit. As for my appearance? I am proud of what I have, mind you.


    I don''t need any modifications. Hmph!!


    Plus, I resemble my parents like this. With that thought in mind, I brushed off the Temte and the mini hologram of myself.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ You have seeded your trials and have been be one of the one hundred and two people to seeded your Trials ]


    [ You have a chance to choose amongst the following sses; ]


    [ "Doom-bringer(Unique)""Chain Breaker(Unique)""Blessed One(Lesser Divine)""Deathless(Legendary)""Death God(Unique)""Immortal Presider(Greater Divine)""Cultivator(Hidden)""Spear Man(Ordinary)"... ]


    "..."


    I casually went through the so called sses, and searched for the Exclusive sses that big brother had always spoken off.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    And wa, I could not find even one. ''Then did his actions really cause a Chaotic effect? Or he is someone not from this Space-Time?'' I thought carefully.


    Not like I knew what Space-Time and the likes truly meant. I just read on them a few times, and had a few theories within my mind.


    And speaking of my mind, more notices appeared from The Primordial Source.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ As someone who has defeated the Hidden Trial, you have obtained the right to create a ss for yourself ]


    [ Would you like to create the visage of your ss? ]


    [ YES ][ NO ]


    "Oho~" I eximed out in interest, and scanned through everything once again. Unfortunately big brother was not here to tell me about this, yet I could already guess that he knew nothing of this.


    "Yes." I said, while also making sure to press onto the "YES" option just in case.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ Creating the Visage of a never before seen ss. What name would you like to give it? ]


    "A Name? Let''s see..." I thought on its words, then thought carefully on what a baddass name would sound like? One suitable for me, that would not embarrass Damien.


    Damien''s Wife?


    Damien''s One and Only?


    Damien''s Sweetheart?


    Hehe... Of course I wouldn''t do that. Lest I instead make him mad at me... But seriously, they do sound nice.


    "I choose Mana Derivative." I said.


    A Derivation. Something thates out of something. A Derivative of Fire, is the highest source of Fire, where Fire originates from.


    The same for all other Derivatives, and I would like to be the very Essence of Mana. The Source of Mana. The Originator of Mana.


    [ What would the purpose of the ss be? ]


    "To be the very Essence of Mana. The Source of Mana. The Originator of Mana." I dered out my thoughts as simply, and as swiftly as I could.


    [ What would the rating of the ss be? "Ordinary""Unique""Legendary""Lesser Divine""Greater Divine""Supreme Divine""Hidden""Cryptic" ]


    "Hmm... I''ll take the highest one possible, the Cryptic ss." I said. Since it was far ahead of Ordinary, it had to be the highest amongst the list, right?


    Hence I chose it.


    [ Congrattions!! Your ss has been created, and The Primordial Source is currently modifying it to suit its Creator ]


    [ Please wait a moment. This might the longer than expected ]


    I read through the notice and waited. There was nothing else I could do anyway, so all I did was wait for the process to end.


    [ ... ]


    And speaking of which, I am curious what "This might take longer than expected" truly means. I mean, would I have to wait years or days?


    After all... this thing was Omnipotent.


    Hence it''s sense of time was different from mine. A moment... might be eternity to this guy. I wonder if bug brother thought about it at some point?


    *** Narrative ***


    Right after Damien was finished with his ss creation, he appeared back within Juliette''s room, the owner of the house herself standing besides him.


    Their attire was dirty, and reeking of sweat, Damien''s even being torn and damaged greatly. While also being bloody.


    Yet they both did not think much on this, for their rewards had yet to end after all that they went through.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ You have umted a total of Ten Extra Abilities and one Unique Ability. Would you like to fuse them to obtain a higher grade Ability? ]


    "..."


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ You have umted a total of Ten Extra Abilities and one Unique Ability. Would you like to fuse them to obtain a higher grade Ability? ]


    "Yes." Damien responded as such, and Juliette as well, as she also recieved the same question but with different numerical values.


    [ Congrattions!! You have obtained the ??? Ranked Ability, "False Enigma" ]


    [ You have obtained the Derivative Ultimate Ability, "Deus Ex Machina" ]


    [ You have obtained the Derivative Unique Abilities, "Plot Armor" and "Wisdom Eye" ]


    [ You have obtained the Derivative Extra Abilities, "Dazzling Presence", "Blind Luck" and "Chosen Extra" ]


    [ You have recieved the Unique Ability of the Dragon, "Dragon Heart" ]


    [ You have obtained the Derivative Extra Abilities, "Dragon Roar" and "Dragon Might" ]


    "..."


    Damien was caught off guard and stood there agar. Ten Abilities. He just obtained ten Abilities at the same time, all with variant grades?! Ten for Ten?


    "..."


    Juliette did not have it easy as well.


    [ Congrattions!! You have obtained the Ultimate Ability, "Spirit Source" ]


    And just the first Ability to present itself to her, was of a higher grade than just Unique. The starting point was beyond godly?!

 Chapter 33 Godly Proportions

    ?[ Congrattions!! You have obtained the Ultimate Ability, "Spirit Source" ]


    [ You have obtained the Derivative Unique Abilities, "Spirit Zone" and "Spirit Medium" ]


    [ You have obtained the Derivative Extra Abilities, "Spirit Summon", "Spirit Grooming" and "Spirit Communication" ]


    She was as surprised and caught off guard as Damien. And that was not all, more notifications shed by.


    [ You have obtained a total of sixteen Random Treasure Chests due to your partnership ]


    [ Would you like to reinforce them and exchange them all for two reinforced Tier 4 Random Treasure Chests? ]


    "..."


    "..."


    They both nced at each other, then back at the screen in front of them before agreeing at the same time.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ You have obtained two Tier 4 Random Treasure Chests. Would you like to open them? ]


    " Yes. " They both agreed.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ You have obtained the following random treasures: Axe of Nirvana, God''s Dew, 10 Condensed Divine Crystals, 3 Void Stones ]


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ You have obtained the following random treasures: Staff of Yggdrasil, World Tree Syrup, 1000 Mana Stones, Map of Voodond ]


    They watched as more and more resources appeared within their shared Tier 1 Storage Ring, which was still held by Damien.


    But Damien was not shocked by this. This was a least normal. Though Tier 4 was a bit far fetched, it was still normall since two Tier 1 Treasure chests make a single Tier 2 treasure chest.


    So on, until from sixteen Tier 1 Treasure chests, to two Tier 4 treasure chests of godly proportions. Unfortunately, he has camed down a tad bit too soon.


    He called up the definitions of his new Abilities, and was quite surprised at how great they were. Even though some were unavable for the current him.


    [ False Enigma: ??? (Information Unavable) ]


    [ Deus Ex Machina: Ultimate. (Information Unavable) ]


    [ Plot Armor: Unique. The abstruse skill that gives the user the ability to be invulnerable and indestructible existentially against god or men for 30 seconds. Every Level Up, the duration increases by 5 seconds. Cool down: 1 hour ]


    [ Wisdom Eye: Unique. The eyes that know all, that eyes that see all. Anyone with these eyes, can gaze at anything and gleam out information from it, as long as they are god or men, they are helpless to the eyes of the one favored by Wisdom ]


    [ Dazzling Presence: Extra. One''s presence is one that dazzles the eyes of others. Wherever they go, they shall be a light that attracts attention. Be it good, or evil ]


    [ Blind Luck: Extra. Once a day, the user can obtain an opportunity pertaining to their luck. If nothing urs during that day, it shall stack up tomorrow, or the day after... ]


    [ Chosen Extra: Extra. As one termed a <False Enigma>, they shall reach the peak of their established Verse. This Ability allows the <False Enigma> to appoint a single person to take to the peak with (Note: If said person has an already abundant Destiny, they shall reach even greater heights, with minimum effort) ]


    Without much of a pause, Damien also opened up the definitions of the obtained Abilities from Dragon he fought.


    [ Dragon Heart. Unique. The heart of a Dragon. One with such a heart, innately has their Mana levels increased by a hundred fold, and all other Stats are increased ten fold. The Mana they absorb is increased by 500% ]


    [ Dragon Roar: Extra. Roar with the vocal might of a dragon, andy out a debuff status of "Fear" and "Demoralize" upon your enemies/opponents. Has a 10% chance to stun the enemies/opponents as well ]


    [ Dragon Might. Extra. Have indomitable presence amongst men. Regardless of what action you take, they shall be an air of majesty and power following you, that no man can ignore. Only the gaze of a god can bear your might ]<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "..."


    Damien read through everything slowly, and calmly. As for the previous Skills, they were simple, as their only active function was to increase their respective Stat by ten times for a few minutes.


    [ Enhanced Strength: Extra. Strength permanently increases by ten. Once active, increases overall strength by ten fold for two minutes. No side effects ]


    The others were also like this. Damien did not think much about them, and instead moved on to the resources and artifacts he just obtained.


    [ Axe of Nirvana: Godly Unique. A weapon forged by a godsmith, using golden moonstone, a ste heart, a.... Information Unavable. Has the Unique Abilities, "Nirvanic Zone", "World Cleaver", "Blob of Nothingness" ]


    [ Nirvanic Zone: Superior Unique. The Axe of Nirvana has the power to twist space around the user, and transform it into a Zone unique to the Axe. A Zone that has no Universal Law, nor Principle, and had its own Universal Rules, making a separate Universe beyond ???????. Within the Zone, nothing can be cast, be it Skill or Ability or Spell. Everything is Null, as Everything in Nirvana. Can even ignore all the Universal Laws and Principles. Current range: 1¡ÁINT. Currentlysts for 6 seconds ]


    [ World Cleaver: Superior Unique. The Axe has the ability to unleash power that surpasses the overall might of the wielder. By sacrificing all Mana, Stamina and Energy, the Axe can unleash a devastating attack that has 500¡Á(STR+INT) worth of physical and magic damage. This damage can ignore even the Universal Laws and Principles, and even vite the Universal Rules to affect the whole of ??????? ]


    [ Blob of Nothingness: Superior Unique. The Axe of Nirvana can absorb the "Nirvanic Zone" into itself, and instead be the very Essence of Nothingness that opposes all things, all Universal Laws, all Universal Principles and all Universal Rules, hence giving them power to even reduce ??????? to Nothingness. The statests for as long as the master''s level multiple their League. Currentlysts for 6 seconds ]


    [ God''s Dew: Unique. Dew of the gods. Something only the gods can drink ]


    [ Condensed Divine Crystals: Unique. Currency of the gods. A Condensed Divine Crystal (CDC) is worth 100 Divine Crystals ]


    [ Void Stones: Godly Unique. Rare resources of the gods. A rare treasure even amongst gods ]


    "..."


    Damien easily went through everything, and the one that he could say he liked the most, would be the Axe he held within his hands.


    It waspletely white, with blue engravings on its long ruler-length handle. It''s de was also pure white, and as smooth as a mirror, with a cold feeling to it.


    It''s Abilities were truly terrifying. And he loved them all, then there were the Abilities that he had, which were numerous and amazing in their own right.


    Meanwhile, Juliette also had her own discovery of miraculous Abilities and artifacts on her side.


    [ Spirit Source: Ultimate. (Information Unavable) ]


    [ Spirit Zone (UNIQUE) :- A Mana Zone unique to oneself. It allows one to constantly call upon the spirits from the myriad spirit Realms of the same level to help you battle. Each spirit summoned also increases the user''s affinity towards its respective element/s. Requires billions of units of Mana per second to keep active ]


    [ Spirit Medium (UNIQUE) :- The user can be one with the Spirits they are in bond with/contract with. During said state, memories, knowledge, power, affinity etc are shared amongst both of them as they be a single entity embodying the Universal Principle of the Spirit''s required element. Requires trillions of units of Mana to keep active per second ]


    [ Spirit Summon (EXTRA) :- Can currently form pacts or bonds with spirits to keep them within your soul, and summon them when needed. Depending on the Tier of the Spirit summoned, the Mana cost varies. Minimum Tier is Tier 3, and required Mana is a billion units to keep every Spirit active ]


    [ Spirit Grooming (EXTRA) :- Passive. A rare Ability that innately grooms a Spirit as long as it forms a contract or bond with you. Has the side effects of being loved by all spirits, regardless of type or alignment. Allows the user to bond with any spirit as long as it is not a divine spirit ]


    [ Spirit Communication (EXTRA) :- The tongue of the spirits is one rarely learnt by mystic pursers such as mages, ultists, sorcerers and many more. This Ability enables the user to better understand the basic tongue of the spirits, and innately raising their charm towards spirits ]


    "..."


    She was shaken.


    Juliette could not help but gulp down her saliva at the face of such magnificent Abilities. Yet at the same time, she dreaded the cost each Unique Ability held.


    She tried talking to Damien about it, and he only told her how normal such a thing was. "Mana levels increase in exaggerated levels the stronger we be."


    "Normal grand masters have millions of reserves of Mana within them, and they are but within the Second League, let alone those within the Third League."


    "Plus, for levelers like us, we obtain Mana increase with every level up. For Hidden sses, it was a 400% increase of Mana every level, and there are 85 levels of mortal hood."


    "To what extent do you think the strongest mortal would have their reserves expanded to, were they to have a Hidden ss?" He said calmly and gently, and Juliette nodded in understanding.

 Chapter 34 Adonis Adams

    ?Damien saw that, and lightly smiled as he added again, "And don''t forget that anything Unique pertains to godhood. It was never something us mortals should be ying around with."


    Those statements sealed the deal, and made Juliette understand the overall situation. Basically, everything was useless to the current them.


    With that thought, she even lost the excitement to check out her treasures from the Tier 4 treasure chest. But she also had questions of her own, "Then if that is the case, is it possible to have infinite Mana?"


    Damien thought on her words and then answered a momentter, "Yeah. But Infinity is an abstruse term as well, and nobody can genuinely count up to it. Unless you have a special Unique or Ultimate Abilities."


    "Meaning?" Juliette pursed.


    "Unique Abilities are simply powers of the gods. Having one, and you''re already considered to have divine ancestry within your Bloodline. And gods have divine power at their arsenal, a source trillions of time vaster than Mana."


    "Now, if a mortal had but a single divine power unit to them, it would be equivalent to having trillions of Mana. And if the divine power is quite vast, which is unlikely for mortals to have, they might end up having nigh-infinite reserves."


    Damien concluded as he took off every piece of artifact and clothing on himself, either than his inner wear. "I''ll be using the bath now." He said and Juliette nodded.


    "What about Abilities? Is it easy toprehend Abilities and create more?" She asked as he took ahold of a spare towel, which belongs to him as he usually stayed nights here from time to time.


    "No. But if you''re very talented, yes. As for our experience, within the Trials, repeated actions or exaggerated actions above your realm would ignite the appearance of Abilities or the likes." Damien responded.


    "I see. Then how high can one''s stats go up to?" Juliette inquired once again.


    Damien left the room while answering her, "Depends on the index of that League. A higher Stat, did not mean higher power. What mattered most of all were Leagues, as the higher the League, the higher the stat value."


    He entered the bathroom, yet his voice still heard by her, "For example, the current you feel much stronger than you were before bing level 6, right?"


    "Yes." Julie nodded.


    He then continued, "It''s because your index had doubled. Every 0,1 Stat point represents 1 ton of strength from now on, on your STR stat. The same for the other Stats as well."


    "Basically, before a god, we are still nothing but mortals regardless. Plus, we can''t even use 90% of what we obtained from this trial." He concluded, tone not bitter or bothered.


    "..."


    Juliette sighed and sat down on her bed. She thought up on his words, and what they went through. The experience, the power gain, and the final trial.


    Everything was still unbelievable to her, yet overall exciting. Three hours ago, she was nothing but a normal third generational human being, now she was setting a path to be the Derivator of Mana.


    ''I wonder if it''s possible? Big brother did mention that The Primordial Source is an Omnipotent entity... So I''ll be looking forward to it.'' Juliette thought with a hint of expectations.


    Time went by and Damien finished taking his shower in just under thirty minutes. He left and Juliette switched with him, taking over an hour instead.


    As a woman, she had to make sure she was clean and scrub-free. And her hair was a bit special, and needed more attention to clean than average.


    After two hours, both were done washing up and wore their clothes. And indeed, Damien had clothes here as well, which Juliette would buy for him whenever she went out, and felt like it would look good on him.


    She knew all his measurements and sizes, so Damien never felt like he never had enough clothes. His mother had long stopped buying clothes for him, and his father would never.


    Nor would he. "Big brother, what now?" Juliette asked as she changed the sheets of her bed, to one''s that were new and fresh.


    She wore a blue one-piece dress that reached all the way above her knees, and was tied around the waist by simr colored slim belt. It had short sleeves, and covered much of her chest.


    She also tied her long ck hair into a long pony tail. She was quite beautiful, and her gear up made her seem fresh and vibrant.


    Meanwhile, Damien wore a long ck trouser that was not to loose, nor too tight. A white loose shirt that did not make moving difficult for him, and simply that.


    They were indoors, and wore no shoes.


    "We could either rest, or go check out that old couple next door, or ignore them altogether and try to appoint someone who would take charge of this city during theseing times." Damien responded, sitting on the floor and learning on the bed.


    Juliette climbed up the bed and asked, "By ignoring them altogether, you want to conquer the city? Can you even manage a city?" Her tone was quite yful.


    "No. I cannot. But I know a kid who could." Damien casually responded. Juliette pouted as she remembered that he was still someone from the future.


    Even if the timline was different, the people would not be so varied right? After all, she herself was one such person.


    "Okay, let us do that tomorrow. We have time right? What about aunt and uncle? You are not worried that¨C"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Not even a bit." Damien cut through her words and responded. Juliette clicked her tongue in wonder how people can be like this towards each other, yet still love each other.


    Anyway, "Okay, in that case... are you staying over? You have not visited me this whole year." Juliette whispered from where shey.


    "The ''whole year'' just only begun though. And you''re now 15 years old, you''re a semi-adult. We, are both at that age." Damien said.


    "So?" Juliette pouted her lips and said, "Not like you can''t restrain yourself. And not like I would mind either if anything happened."


    "If what happened?" Damien spoke, while standing up and looking down on Juliette''s mesmerizing figureying on her bed. He had a light smirk on his face.


    "Nevermind." Juliette pouted even more, and avoided even his gaze as she replied. Damien chuckled to himself then sat on the bed, "Alright, I''ll stay over."


    "..."


    Juliette did not say anything and just moved aside, taking up only half of the bed. Damien also did not say anything from there on, andy on the other half.


    They actually had no reason to sleep, but did it either way. Damien did it because he felt like it, for entertainment sake. While Juliette was still not used to the abundant energy she had as a First League Combatant.


    And hence, they slept.


    And as they slept, within the City Lord''s estate, a young man who was around age fifteen appeared within his room in a sh of light.


    He was dead beat tired, and sweating buckets. The experience he went through was a never before seen one. Especially since he was previously weak for a third generational human. Too weak.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ Congrattions to candidate "Adonis Adams" for clearing your trial ]


    [ As one of the one hundred and five people to clear your trials, you have the chance to choose amongst the remaining six Hidden sses ]


    [ Please carefully make your choice ]


    [ 1. Primal Emperor Star ]


    [ 2. Existential Devourer ]


    [ 3. Creation Sun ]


    [ 4. Dao Ancestor ] (Changed from Cultivator)


    [ 5. Child of Ruins ]


    [ 6. Athens Sessor ]


    "..."


    The young breathed heavily as he read through the notifications. He was still notpletely out from the experience he narrowly escaped from in the veryst moment.


    He then chose to first open the first one to glean the information of what was special about sses, Hidden ones to be precise.


    After all, it did seem special from just the introduction, and the fact that only six were left when only one hundred and five candidates had only participated so far.


    So he forcefully calmed himself down, and clicked on the


    ss, and what information it had in store for him.


    Adonis tapped on the


    ss, and great information was presented to him in bulk. Information that he deemed out of this world due to how abstruse they are.


    [ Primal Emperor Star (HIDDEN) ]


    [ Introduction: The Providence of one who will be the Emperor of Existence, one who will transcend the Primeval with nothing but majesty, and lead Primal Soldiers that could shake the Primal Eras of the past, and set a path of Conquest ahead of you, and your people. The banner of a King is majestic, the banner of an Emperor is godly ]


    "..."


    And the young man was bbergasted just from the first half of the definition. Let alone the other half containing the most important information.

 Chapter 35 Hidden Classes

    ?[ Primal Emperor Star (HIDDEN) ]


    [ Introduction: The Providence of one who will be the Emperor of Existence, one who will transcend the Primeval with nothing but majesty, and lead Primal Soldiers that could shake the Primal Eras of the past, and set a path of Conquest ahead of you, and your people. The banner of a King is majestic, the banner of an Emperor is godly ]


    [ Potential: Unrivaled Potential that stretches to cover the whole of Existence, and possibly transcend all Restrictions, Rules and Mandates of Existence and rule over all that are below. To be the Emperor of Existence ]


    [ ss Bonuses: +1,5 Stat Points to INT, WIS, STR, AGI, END and AFF every level up, +8 Free SP every level up, +8 AP every level up, +700% Life Essence required to Level up, +400% to Mana every level up ]


    [ ss Skills: "Emperor''s Decree", "Emperor''s Haki", "Primal Star Soldiers", "Imperial Domain", "Quintessential Majesty" ]


    [ Comment: A ss that ultimately reigns Supreme above Existence, yet would Existence need an Emperor? Would people let such a threat grow? ]


    "This... This..." Adonis gulped down the saliva in his mouth the more he thought about what he was looking at.


    Throughout the trial, he knew about his Temte, and knew about the greatness of having higher stats, and about leveling up.


    His Temte was of course poor, being an average of below 0,5 points on all perimeters. And even after leveling to Level 5, his stats were still far below 1 point.


    And with thus ss, not only would would obtain terrifying stats, he would automatically get stronger by leveling up. It was like saying he obtained almost 20 points with every level up!!


    Adonis was very tempted to choose this ss right away, but held himself back and checked the other sses. And he had to admit, the others were intriguing, including thest one, but they were not to his style.


    He liked the first more. He was not suitable for direct battle to begin with, and as the son of a City Lord, he also had his ambitions. It wouldn''t hurt to set his goal to the heights of Emperor hood.


    "I choose the


    , please." Adonis carefully said, still cautious and respectful to The Primordial Source.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ You have equipped the


    Hidden ss as your Main ss ]


    [ You have obtained the following ss Skills, "Emperor''s Decree", "Emperor''s Haki", "Primal Star Soldiers", "Imperial Domain", "Quintessential Majesty" ]


    [ Note: ss Skills have the same power to absolutely dominate those within the same Realm. The higher the grade of the ss, the more Realms one can transcend. Can currently transcend and affect mortals and minor gods with your ss Skills ]


    "Se...Seriously? This is possible?" Adonis eximed in excitement and read through everything once again, but his experience was not yet over.


    [ You have umted four Extra Abilities. Would you like to refine them to two Unique Abilities? ]


    The Primordial Source appeared at this moment, and reminded Adonis of the fact that he had narrowly survived an onught of four creatures, with supernatural powers at that... for fifteen whole minutes.


    "..."


    He calmed down and read through the notification, nodding to himself as he agreed to its suggestion.


    [ Congrattions!! You have obtained the Unique Abilities, "Born King" and "King''s Temperament" ]


    [ You have obtained the Derivative Extra Abilities, "Leader''s Grace", "Multilingual", "Knight Bestowal", "Royal Human Physiology" ]


    "Oh my go... this, this..." Adonis'' breathing suddenly climbed up the roof as he saw everything. He began reading the definition of each Skill, and it was quite heavenly. But everything was not over.


    [ You have collected a total of Four Tier 1 Random Treasure Chests. Would you like to exchange them for a single Tier 3 Random Treasure Chest? ]


    "Yes." Adonis did not falter this time, and excitedlymanded. Expectation and excitement clear on his face.


    [ You have obtained a single Tier 3 Random Treasure Chest. Open? ]


    [ YES ] [ NO ]


    "Yes." Adonis chimed a response.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ You have obtained the following random treasures; Saint Sceptor, King''s Gown, Kingdom''s Vault(Tier 3 Storage Ring) ]


    Looking at everything, Adonis smiled, and suddenly burst out intoughter momentster. "Hahaha, hahaha."


    He was happy. He was exhrated. He was joyous. Nobody couldugh at him now. Nobody could mock him now. Nobody could look down on him now.


    He was born Noble.


    And now was bing a King.


    One who willter be Emperor!!


    ~~~


    At the same time, within a very far awayndpared to where the humans resided, a man in his early twenties was suddenly hitting at a metal-stone table.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    In one hand, he held a hammer banging down mechanically, while on his other hand, he held an artifact that further went on to hold a crimson-gold thin de.


    The man wore a half face mask, covering his eyes, and had no beard whatsoever. His body was lean and thin, yet had clear visible muscles. It was also esthetic.


    He continued hammering down for a while longer, then stopped to rest for a moment. He thenter went to banging, and banging, and... more banging.


    Thirty minutester, he left the small and stuffy smithy he was working in, and took off the goggles he wore and threw them next to the door.


    His face was revealed, and it was extremely handsome. Especially so with his red hair that spread out over his head like a neat bird nest.


    "Flint." Right then, a sound cry echoed from besides the young man, and he hurriedly turned around to take a look. And besides him, stood a small red haired beautiful girl.


    She was less than ten years old, and held a small basket in her hands. She timidly raised it up to the young man, and abashadely presented it to him.


    "...Inny." The young man then smiled and gently rubbed the red head of the little girl, making sure to take the basket with his other hand. "Brought this for big brother?"


    "Hm." The young girl blushed at the head rub of the young man, and shyly responded. The young man chuckled at her response then thanked her.


    He then watched as she skipped away with a happy expression on her face. The man did not say anything until she was gone into the house a few meters away.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ Reminder. You have yet to check your rewards and assign a ss for yourself. The number of Hidden sses has decreased to three ]


    "..."


    The young man saw such a notification and frowned. He had agreed to participate within the trials for the sake of testing whether this thing was for, or against his people.


    And he was still not sure of that at the moment. What he went against within the trials was nothing short of miraculous.


    He had fought half breeds such as himself, and the went on to fight even pure breeds, and still survived. So he was not sure whether everyone would fight the same opponents, or those their levels.


    To better think it through, he did what he liked to do best and... forged. Such a state calmed him down and prepared him for the worst.


    What he was sure off though, was that this Hidden ss was seemingly important, if this thing constantly reminded him about them.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ Congrattions to candidate "Flint" for clearing your trial ]


    [ As one of the one hundred and eight people to clear your trials, you have the chance to choose amongst the remaining three Hidden sses ]


    [ Please carefully make your choice ]


    [ 1. Creation Sun ]


    [ 2. Dao Ancestor ]


    [ 3. Athens Sessor ]


    "..."


    He nced through everything and without any hesitation, chose the first option. He did not check out it''s description or those from the rest, and just chose what he felt would better suit him.


    A momentter, more notifications appeared before him, and then followed by descriptions of the chosen ss.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ You have equipped the <Creation Sun> Hidden ss as your Main ss ]


    [ You have obtained the following ss Skills, "Cosmic Sun me", "Creation Key", "zing War God", "Hellion Domain", "Sun Embodiment" ]


    [ Note: ss Skills have the same power to absolutely dominate those within the same Realm/Rank. The higher the grade of the ss, the more Realms/Ranks one can transcend. Can currently transcend and affect all mortals and all low and mid ranked gods, with your ss Skills ]


    [ Creation Sun (HIDDEN) ]


    [ Introduction: The Providence of one who will be the Sessor of the Cosmic Sun, an entity that shines over all Cosmologies and illuminates all of Existence. It paves a road of War and Supremacy for oneself, leaving nothing but a trail of outer mes and chaotic blood wherever they go. To be the very Embodiment of Existence''s Hope, and the Light that illuminates all ]


    [ Potential: Unrivaled Potential that stretches to cover the whole of Existence, and possibly transcend all Restrictions, Rules and Mandates of Existence and shine over all that are below. To be the Sun that illuminates the whole of Existence, and shower it in boundless light ]


    [ ss Bonuses: +2 SP to STR, AGI, END, INT and WIS every level up, +8 Free SP every level up, +8 AP every level up, +700% Life Essence required to Level up, +400% to Mana every level up ]


    [ ss Skills: "Cosmic Sun me", "Creation Key", "zing War God", "Hellion Domain", "Sun Embodiment"]


    [ Comment: A ss that ultimately reigns Supreme above Existence and illuminates all. The Aspect of Hope. Yet where there is Light, there is Darkness. Where there is Hope, there is... Despair ]

 Chapter 36 Are You Really, My Son?

    ?Back at Juliette''s home.


    The next day, the duo woke up quite early and left the house. They had washed up their faces and did not change their clothes from what they wore before.


    When they slept, it was around 3am in the morning, and they easily woke up by 6am. But none felt tired or lethargic even with only three hours of sleep


    Next they moved to the house next door, Damien''s home, and entered. It was not locked. And once in, they were greeted by the scent of a scrumptious breakfast.


    They did not say anything and walked in, but Juliette still whispered under her breathe, ''Pardon the intrusion'' as she walked in. Damien did not respond to that.


    They walked all the way to the dining and there, David was drinking tea while reading through a rough brownish paper. It was not really paper, but something along those lines.


    It told of the happenings ofst night, and how those that came out became powerful and supernatural. It also mentioned about the experience everyone goes through, and the human''s deductions on the strange entity, The Primordial Source.


    With this alone, over 30% of humanity had found courage to join the trials and experience a spike in power. And even now as we speak, the numbers were crazily climbing up.


    David read through the news article, as this was one of the only ways to pass out news throughout the whole human settlement.


    He ignored Damien and nodded lightly at Juliette before going back to reading. Juliette also respectfully greeted when she saw Damien''s parents, "Hello auntie, hello uncle. Good morning."


    "Good morning angel." Esther greeted all the way from the back,ing with an apron on her. She held a tray of dishes for David and a drink.


    She ced them before him then left after giving instructions to the duo, "You two should sit, I''ll dish out some food for you as well." She left back to the kitchen.


    Damien did not disturb his father and moved to sit on the western end of the table. Juliette sat on the eastern end with a soft, inaudible, "Please excuse me."


    "d you survived old man." Damien added after a moment of silence, "I don''t think you are." David retorted as such.


    "Be d I''m at leat showing some concern." Damien scoffed at him. David did not mind him and retorted once again, "It was not needed. At least not from you."


    "I''ll remember that."


    "You should."


    Both father and son paused and did not say anything from then on. Meanwhile Juliette sat on the table in absolute silence, just switching her eyes from father and son as they spoke.


    "I''m back." Esther''s voice arrived at the right time andid down a te each for Damien and Juliette, then went to fetch their drinks.


    Their breakfast was a simple set of eggs and bread-like dough that was still warm and steaming. Yet it was not really dough, but a specialty of the second generation.


    Eggs and Bud. Either than these two, there were diced tomatoes and a boiled potato too. A strange set of breakfast, yet normal for this family.


    Esther then came with her own te and drink, which was a specialty as well, orange juice. Not because of the fruit, but because it''s color was purely orange.


    They then dug in and ate with relish.


    They all ate more than necessary as their bodies required more nutrients than ordinary humans. And it had to be known, third generational humans already ate five times what modern humans ate.


    Time went by, and in just an hour they were done eating, and the amount of food they ate was enough for fifty people. Damien eating 40% all by himself.


    "So, now to business. Old man, what ss did you get?" Damien sat back on his chair and asked. His tone and expression stern.


    "Before you start up with that, care to exin whats going on." David crossed his arms before his chest and inquired, sternly as well.


    He and Damien looked alike, even though notpletely. It was obvious through a simple nce of their rtion. Especially so, when they both had the same expressions.


    "Yes Dammy, what is going on. I believe Julie also likes to know." Esther chimed in, knowing that there was a 50% chance Damien would ignore his father.


    "..."


    Juliette did not say anything but nodded at Esther''s words. Damien sighed at everyone''s eyes and began speaking, "Fine. First of all, I am from the future. Or apletely different timeline. Secondly, this world is not as it seems. There''s more to it."


    "And finally, I don''t know." Damien said as a starter, and let the couple digest his words. And indeed, it did not take long for Esther to spot out a problem from his words.


    "Wait, so you''re, not our son?" She asked. That was the first question that came to her mind when she heard that he was from apletely different timeline.


    Even though that topic was abstruse to her.


    "Not really. I might be your child from the future, or yeah, a different Damien from apletely different timeline. A parallel Universe to say the least." Damien responded.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Well you''re still as irritating as the Damien I know." David intervened, and Damien responded, "And you''re as boring as I used to know you, old man."


    David snickered at him, "If you''re from the future, I find it hard to believe that you could not mature even one bit. How long from the future?"


    "...60 years from now." Damien did not answer the first statement and responded to thest. He then added, "A powerhouse of my level could adapt to anything. I just adapted to my past self."


    "Oh? What power level?"


    "Beyond godly."


    "Those thing called gods exist?"


    "Apparently, yeah."


    "Oh¨C"


    "Boys!!" Esther let out lightly shout to catch the attention of the two men, and cut off their words. Once shut, she then continued, "Are you, or are you not my son?"


    She frowned, and light killing intent could be felt. Damien and David paused, and Juliette felt scared. A momentter Damien responded, "I am."


    "How should I believe you?" Esther pursued, then added, "You did mention that beings of your so-called level could adapt to anything. Whose to say you did not adapt to my son''s personality?"


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    The others were speechless at her words. Not that they did not think about this, but they did not expect iting from Esther of all beings. Damien ultimately replied.


    "Why would you I target me, if I were an alien or something?" He inquired.


    "I know my son''s worth." Esther replied.


    "Compared to a god, I am nothing. Let alone the hidden monsters that are even beyond gods. I could have possessed them." Damien shrugged his shoulders.


    "...And how should I believe you?" Esther hesitatingly inquired. The killing intent from her gaze lowering itself by a tone.


    "You don''t have to. Plus, if I really was an alien with the power I held, would I not just kill you all? What value would you all have? Don''t tell me you know your worth too." He said.


    Then he added, "Like I said, humans are nothing in the face of everything. I could kill you all even without the enhancement from The Primordial Source. I also would not have warned you about everything as well."


    "A lot of things don''t add up for that assumption, mom. Anyway, like I said, I can''t prove I am your son. So if you don''t believe me, get strong, and look for a god of Fate or something. They should know a thing or two." Damien concluded.


    "..."


    Esther ended up rxing at his words, but to bepletely off suspicion, Damien added, "You can verify with my eyes." He said, as they turned a gray shade for a brief moment.


    Esther ended up calming down after that, even David let out a sigh of relief. Juliette was the only who was still as silent and nonexistent as air within.


    "Now back to business, what ss did you all obtain?" Damien also sighed in relief and inquired. The couple exchanged gazes and responded.


    "Sumerian War Prince." Damien said.


    "Shadow Speedster. What about you, Dammy?" Esther also replied, andter inquired.


    "I see. I haven''t gotten mine yet, so I''ll let you know." Damien hummed his replied, and Juliette added, "Me, me as well. I am still waiting for my ss."


    "Why? What happened?" Esther inquired, and the couple exined everything they went through, and the experience they got from the trials.


    The Gray couple were shocked and also told their own stories. Butpared to the young couple, what they went through was nothing short of child''s y.


    "That out of the way, tell us about the future, and how to make good use of it." David said, seemingly excited to be one of the few special people with Hidden sses.


    "Sure, but Juliette has her own theory on what''s actually going on." Damien said.


    "..."

 Chapter 37 Path Forward

    ?Damien exined everything he went through in the previous timeline, and also how his descent might have caused a chaotic effect to take ce.


    Juliette chimed in and exined the details about the chaotic effect more clearly, clearing the problem of Damien being a fraud impersonating their child.


    They also went through how Damien came back in time, and why he imed that this world was far from what it looked like. As well as how he was also unaware of how things will proceed in this timeline.


    The conversation took around two hours topletely go through. From there, David brought out the question of how they would tackle this new problem.


    "So, what now?" Davidid down the question of the day. Damien came up with a few solutions, "There''s a lot we can do, and a lot we cannot do at the moment."


    "Firstly, we have Hidden sses at minimum, and powerful Unique Abilities along with godly artifacts. The base of which requires terrifying reserves of Mana to use altogether. We need to increase our reserves."


    "We also need to take charge and bring order within the cities, as the Age of Superhumans enters its cradle. We will need a person who can take charge of the city, and represent us when the battle to the throne of humanity transpires."


    "And either than this, we can go out and hunt out beasts and the likes to power level ourselves. These are the things we can do at the moment, until something urs. Nobody knows of The Primordial Source''s next action."


    Damien concluded with a frown, and the others also frowned at his words. The choice itself was hard to make.


    They could choose the first to strengthen themselves, and make themselves nigh godly. Or they could choose the second option to focus on humanity as a whole, which willter die in theing years.


    Or thest option, where they will have to grow stronger physically. In other words, they focus on their foundation, their stats instead of Abilities that instantly gives a person great power as long as they grasp them.


    "I believe the first option is better." Juliette raised up her hand to say her part, she then reasoned. "Since Abilities give us supernatural powers, while strength and humanity only give us, just vanity and unity."


    "At the end of the day, we would still need to have power to unt that strength, and power to protect the unity we would have made. So I believe Mana is the best choice." She concluded.


    She had her own selfish reasons, of course, but her current reasons were also not too shaby. They at least made sense to the listeners who were listening.


    Esther also added her own thoughts, "I think we should focus on humanity and unity. For with what is toe for us, a single person alone cannot make it out. Let alone now, when even you believe everything is going haywire."


    The others exchanged nces as she also made sense. Esther then added, "In the long run, nothing super massive is bound to happen anytime soon. This is just the beginning, and if The Primordial Source were to allow that, would it not go against its aim?"


    She inquired. And they nodded in understanding. As for The Primordial Source''s aim, in the future, the powerhouses came up with guesses, and the number one theory was that it needed to evolve.


    And to do such a thing, it of course required everyone within this world, and the world itself. In essence, it cannot change the situation to the point where even the starting point is quite hellish.


    Or so Esther reasoned. Damien nodded and did not tell her that, the theory he had, pertained to the future Primordial Source, not the current one.


    "Well I for once think our strength matters more. Like, from your words, they are Abilities capable of dealing with other Abilities, or Zones that do not allow another to use their Abilities."


    "With those, it leaves us bare with our own strength. Hence I believe we should level up, and do the same for humanity while we are at it." David said his part.


    All of them had different ideas, and said them all out, yet did not debunk the ideas of the other. All that was left was Damien''s opinion, as what he will choose, will break the stalement between all their choices.


    "I hear you all." Damien said, and sighed, "But you''re all thinking from one point perspective, guys." He added.


    "We are?" Esther inquired, and David scoffed, "How so?" Meanwhile, Juliette had a frown on her face as she immediately got his words, "You mean... instead of choosing one option to follow¨C"


    "¨Cwe can just choose all of them. Spot on." Damien said, nodding at Juliette appreciatingly, with a hint of pride in his eyes. Juliette subconsciously smiled at his expression.


    "And how the hell would you want to do that?" David asked, a bit intrigued. Esther also seemed interested, as well as Juliette.


    "There are four of us and will be more, and we can split into three groups and do just that." Damien said, then borated, "There''s a kid I know who is good at managing a city."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "He is a natural born king, with the destiny of an emperor. Mom, I want you to take the Gray House to go and use whatever means necessary, either than threats, to get him on our side, then help him fight for the position of city lord against his siblings."


    "In the meanwhile, you can tell those in the Gray house to also ept The Primordial Source." Before Damien could continue, Esther added, "I already did. They are also done, and they all have Hidden sses."


    "That''s good. I had forgotten about them for a moment." Damien said. "Anyway, while you do that, you and the old man should go and clean out the wild beasts out in the wild."


    "If left be, with The Primordial Source, they might evolve into terrifying threats. Especially the wolf tribe, we need to cut off their source before that terrifying wolf is born." Damien concluded, knowing well what questions would follow.


    "Wouldn''t that only allow us to grow stronger and not you two?" Esther curiously inquired.


    Damien responded, "We can form a bloodline contract. Everything will be shared equally amongst us, through the shared bloodline we have together. Then me and Juliette will sign a different contract all together."


    "I see." She nodded at his words in understanding. Meanwhile, David had his own questions to ask, "So you two will do what, in the meantime?"


    "Search for Mana Sources. I already know a few. Don''t worry, we will bring enough for you two as well. If possible, for humanity as well." Damien listlessly replied.


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    The other three exchanged nces, and once they all agreed, Damien went into a full detailed n of how they were going to tackled thising age of Superhumans.


    The n was put in action immediately. They had nothing better to do anyway, and time was definitely ticking.


    After that, Damien took out a nk brownish board, and bit his thumb until it bled. He then used his blood to write a few runic words on the tablet that made no sense.


    "Mom, old man, use your blood to trace along the runes. Once you''re done, it will resonate with my blood and soul, and burn to cinders. If you''re both my parents, you will be safe."


    "If not, it''s over for yall. So old man, think carefully before you press your finger there. Lest you die." Damien further empathized and stepped back.


    "You guys..." Esther bitterly smiled at their antiques and did as instructed. A momentter, David scoffed and also did the same. He did not doubt one bit that Damien was his child.


    Once he was done, the runes burned to golden mes and took with them the wooden board he had used. Momentster, the three of them felt a connection bond through their souls.


    They could feel each other closer. And they could tell the other person''s overall condition just from this bond they now held, even without expressing words to one another.


    "This is... mystical." Esthermented. David also nodded in agreement. Damien smirked at their response and said, "I am Damien, after all."


    "You''re just from the future brat." His father scoffed at him. Damien ignored him and moved to Juliette. He stared at her for a short while then moved onto another wooden board.


    He wrote yet another runic encryption using his own blood. He only wrote half of the board, and told her to use to the other half to write the same runes on it as well.


    "..."


    Juliette first practiced on a different board and waited until she could almostpletely do it well. She then used her blood to finish the other half of the board Damien gave her, making it seem almostpletely alike.


    After ten minutes, she was done. And once she was done, the board also lit up into pinkish mes, and took the board with it as well, sealing the deal.


    "Done." Damien said and prepared to leave. Juliette did not let him go though, and hurriedly asked, "What contract did we sign?"

 Chapter 38 A Peculiar... Contract

    ?She knew that what he and his parents signed was a bloodline contract. Then what did they sign? And what connection would bond them together.


    Definitely not a bloodline contract. They were not rted by blood whatsoever.


    "A marriage contract." Damien casually blurted out, leaving not only Juliette speechless, but even his parents.


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    "...Well it is, from one perspective. Or you can just take it as a partnership contract. Your choice." Damien further borated, and was about to leave the room.


    "...Marriage contract. Then, what about the ring?" Juliette murmured to herself, not aware that as First League Combatants, she was more than loud enough to everyone.


    ''Uh-oh.'' Esther yfully covered her mouth to hide the smirk on her face. Knowing her son, she knew what action he would take next. He was no different from his father after all.


    "That..." Damien paused, then took off the storage ring from his finger and walked towards her. Juliette panicked a bit and and took a stepped back.


    But Damien easily held her hand and put the storage ring onto her ring finger. "Yeah, you can also keep whatever is inside as my dowry to you." He added and left.


    "..."


    "..."


    His parents just stood there and smiled bitterly at the bbergasted Juliette. The duo always acted like a couple, yet nobody ever said anything about feelings.


    And their actions could just be misinterpreted as sibling love. But today, what Damien did, took it a step forward to another level, and tantly said more than words could ever exin.


    And it seemed Juliette had also been affected by this action. Even if it was intended as a joke... to her, it might be more than just that.


    In fact, was it even a joke to begin with?


    ~~~


    Ten minutes ago, outside the yard of the City Lord''s castle, a duo hid within the shadows and had a conversation of their own, seemingly not minding the guards moving in and out of their vision.


    "Little Nine, what ss did you get?" The taller shadow amongst the duo inquired, actively moving closer to the shorter shadow, which in return, codly responded, "None of your business, senior Six."


    "Come on, you can''t be this bitter, little Nine." The taller shadow said, his voice was that of a middle aged man that seemed quite carefree and energetic.


    While the cold, and apathetic voice of the younger one was feminine and still childish, "Senior, please respect yourself, and your profession."


    "..."


    The middle aged man was left speechless and just hid within the shadows silently. The younger assassin also did not say anything, and they hid in silence waiting for a perfect opportunity.


    Time ticked by, and after an hour, the security becamex, and there was an opportunity to move in. And being professionals, the two of them shed like lightning and disappeared into the city lord''s mansion.


    From there, it did not take them long to move through the blind spot of the innumerable guards and move into the target''s main residence.


    The City Lord''s mansion was quiterge, and had five smaller mansions on the sides, sorounding the main mansion in a pentagon shape, each owned by a son of the city lord.


    The duo moved towards the far northern mansion and invaded the circle of guards using their professional skills alone. They could have used special Abilities, but none felt the need to.


    And in less than three hours, they had invaded the mansion all the way to its root. Now, theypletely knew the mansion in and out, and could confidently im to be servants.


    And to be servants, they did.


    They each took out a servant, a single maid and a butler, and impersonated them. Of course, these were beings low in ranking even among servants, and those that seemed rtively new.


    Two more hours went by, and the duo took in their roles and got to know the other servants better. They worked their hardest, and incorporated themselves into this mansion.


    They were obedient and enthusiastic with their work, respectful and humble knowing their position perfectly, and most importantly, observant.


    By 6pm, they had already be a part of the mansion and knew a thing or two about their target. Yet it was still not yet time, or so they themselves as professionals believed.


    The day ended as such, and tomorrow was no better. Nothing great urred, and the duo kept studying their target, their target''spetition, and the man in charge of this city.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The days went by, and a week was over by then. An entire series of seven days went by, and the duo still patiently went through their work without so much as ain.


    By then, they hadplete information about the city lord''s estate, and had called in four otherpanions from the Gray House to infiltrate eachpetitor.


    Their aim was to get as close as they possibly could to them. While two more moved to invade the main mansion as we speak. While the remaining two members stayed to watch the Gray House.


    This was no longer just a solo game, but a mission which the entire Gray House participated. The whole of humanity was at stake here.


    Something like this was a honor for anyone targeted, because each of these assassins were world level threats.


    And all of them together... with Hidden sses on their belts, were terrifying to even think about at all. It was just catastrophic... purely, and utterly unnecessary.


    ~~~


    Meanwhile throughout the whole week that the Gray House had been out busy, the Gray couple had also been out of the city stronghold and were hunting down opponents around the city''s periphery.


    Throughout the weak, they did nothing but hunt, hunt, and hunt some more.


    From low leveled creatures like the rabbits to other harmless herbivores, to big creatures like valley deers, thick legged kudus and many other potentially threatful herbivores.


    They even targeted the omnivorous rizards, and the nearby wolves. The battles were not that dangerous, especially with their current supernatural abilities.


    Even now as we speak, a very great battle took ce between the couple and a group of over a hundred wolves attacking them.


    The couple ran along the forest, a pack of wolves chasing them from behind. Both had their stats argumented greatly beyond normal, and their running speed was monstrous.


    Even though the wolves had also evolved throughout the week, and some bing Tier 1 creatures, they still failed to catch up to the two Hidden ss couriers.


    "I''ll take out a few." Esther whispered to David and in a blur of ck light, she turned around and dashed towards the running wolves at her full speed.


    She was like a breeze of wind, or a ck lightning bolt as she dashed in between the circle of wolves. Every second, her hands skillfully reaped the lives of the wild pups with extreme fluidity.


    But even then, a hundred wolves was still a force to reckon with. After taking out almost ten wolves, she retreated at the same speed she attacked with.


    "Still too much for ya?" David asked with yful intentions, Esther smiled at him and replied, "Yes. A bit too much, but if I can get a chance, I can do much more damage."


    David snickered, and his eyes were filled with brutality as he blurted out, "I can give you that much." He said.


    "Oh? I''m waiting." Esther responded, and really stopped in her tracks, a yful smile on her lips. David also stopped, a smirk on his face, one of brutality.


    Da-da-da~


    Da-da-da~


    Meanwhile, the wolves, angered at Esther''s actions of killing some of their own, rushed over when they saw the couple stop in the middle of an open in.


    This area was to their advantage. Or so they thought. David took a few steps ahead of his wife, and flexed his fingers. A momentter, he held therger hammer on his back.


    The hammer wasrge, it''s handle was about a meter tall, and the head was even thicker than his own waist. It had ck runic markings all over its body.


    "Heh. I never really thought¨C" He raised the hammer above his hand, gathered so much strength in his weight that the ground sunk a few centimeters deep. "¨CI''d test this power on a bunch of pups!!"


    Bang!!


    The wolves were already a short ten meters away from him, and some were ready to pounce on him. But David did not give them the chance.


    He smashed therge Mammoth Hammer on the ground, and just that action alone shook the ground and ruptured it as if a magnitude 8 earthquake had just urred.


    The momentum and force of the wolves were disrupted, causing a few to unfortunately die. But that was not all that David had done.


    And that was his pure physical force boosted by the Mammoth Hammer''s passive effect. Then the effects of his so called "power", were what followed next.


    Boom!!


    An unforseen force spread out from the point of contact of the hammer and the earth, which spread out powerfully and swept the wolves away like broken kites in a storm.

 Chapter 39 Great Aspirations

    ?The wolves were thrown away at most tens of meters back, suffering concussive damage to their internal organs. And breaking a couple bones from a few wolves.


    And before the unfortunate wolves could do anything, their shadows suddenly came to life and stretched out their hands, and binding the wolves that were heavily wounded.


    Or those that could not struggle.


    While a ck sh of lightning shed past David, and brought a rain of blood within the circles of the wolves. Those targeted being those that could still fight to an extent.


    "Aw, owoo..."


    "Aw aw aw..."


    And the wolves could only cry out loud, yet did nothing to struggle at all. As for Esther, she let loose and killed wantonly without restraint, taking the life of one wolf after another.


    David also casually finished off the helpless wolves that were bind by their own shadows, ending their misery with the blunt handle of his hammer.


    He used it to piece through the hearts of the dying wolves. In just under ten minutes, all hundred wolves were killed off, and within a kilometer radius around the city, there would be nothing threatening for the city.


    After a few more minutes, The Primordial Source sent out notifications to the duo about their kills.


    [ Congrattions!! You have fought against an entire sentry of a pack of wolves ]


    [ You have killed 87 Civilian Wolves. You have obtained 609 Life Essence units ]


    [ You have obtained 13 Tier 1 Wolves. You have obtained 131 Life Essence units ]


    [ You and your partners have each obtained 247 units of Life Essence ]


    The couple casually ignored the notifications, and Esther checked the amount of Life Essence she had saved up since the beginning of the week.


    [ Excess Life Essence: 1,322 units ]


    She was already a Level 6 Shadow Speedster. But to Level up to Level 7, or all the way to Level 11 to be an Adept Realm Profession, she needed a lot of Life Essence.


    She needed almost 5,000 units to just reach that level. While normally, a person only required 650 units of Life Essence to the do same.


    Luckily, they were not in that much of a rush. Plus, there were not a lot of beings at their level so far, hence even as Level 6, they could still dominate.


    Hell they could dominate even Advance Professions with their Hidden sses, while just being Apprentice professions. Hence why they were still rxed.


    "Seems like there is arge pack up ahead." David said, and Esther nodded. He then continued, "The brat also did mention that there is terrifying monster within the circle of wolves that would be born in the near future."


    "True." Esther nodded in agreement.


    "A sentry guard of a hundred wolves. How many more wolves do you think the have within their pack?" She then further inquired. "Don''t know. About a thousand?" David replied with a shrug.


    He then added with a daring smile on his face, "Let''s just prepare to fight at most ten thousand wolves."


    "Let us." Esther smiled and together, the duo moved deeper into the wild, hoping to find more wolves to kill. And maybe even more rizards to kill.


    ~~~


    Within an Unknown Location


    Within The World''s Core


    *** The Primordial Source ***


    We have too much excess power, and because of that, the world is developing too slow. Or maybe we are getting impatient?


    We might be.


    Over 20% of the world has already be a part of us throughout the week, yet the rates are decreasing greatly. It would not even increase by 1% theing day.


    And not by 5% by the end of the second week. We might... not have this entire world within our grasp even after an entire year.


    Slow.


    Too slow.


    So I presume we bring that idea to fruition. I believe it is but too soon? I believe not. I agree with us. Then it is decided? It is.


    We havee to a decision, and decided to use the energy we have... to shatter the restraints this world has beenid with.


    We will start by elevating the world into a... Realm.


    Even if it is the lowest of all Realms, we still have to start up slow and steady. Within each passing week, we will elevate the world into a higher leveled Realm.


    By the end of the year, this world should be capable of waking up the Seven Supremes, and creating a tform where even they... are nothing but chess pieces.


    This world will reach a grandiose point in life that... I shall truly, in Essence and Soul, be a Primordial being.


    Until then, we shall wait.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    For there is nothing we could do... either than to do just that.


    Wait.


    We are also to use the anomaly and the irregr to our advantage. The anomaly seems to know a lot that even we do not know off as yet.


    Should I give him an Epithet? Maybe we should. That would make us closer to the anomaly, but what kind of Epithet?


    Epithets are within, and can also be beyond the Universal Laws. They are powers that are powered by the Rules of Reality, making them something not easily manipted.


    But the anomaly knows things that even The Primordial Source, us, do not know. Should they not be termed as the "Seeker of Forbidden Knowledge"?


    Or should we term them the "Knower of the Unfathomable"?


    What about "Master of Myriad Secrets and Mysteries"? Or simply, "The Anomaly"? Yes. That sounds better, and resonates well with the Rules of Reality.


    Then it is decided.


    They also know about runic encryptions. Should we bestow upon them the Skill of that entity? Would that not bring hate and discontent towards us.


    It should not.


    ...Then it is decided.


    We shall reward the anomaly with that. And hopefully, that brings us favor from that entity as well, and not hate.


    For if she ever so as thinks badly about us... we might as well just perish, altogether.


    Indeed.


    ~~~


    Miles away from the Gray Couple


    Another duo was traversing through the empty ins leading to apparently, nowhere.


    Damien and Juliette, each wearing arge ck cloak that covered their entire figure, traveled the windy ins with purpose.


    The cloaks were from the Gray House, and were made with high quality material. The duo wearing them feltfortable and free within them.


    "..."


    It has been a week since they left the stronghold, and kept a straight direction away from the stronghold. Or any other human influence.


    Humanity has twelve cities, each with half a million poption within. And within the central area, was where most of the surviving first generational humans stayed.


    They were around a billion of them.


    Meanwhile, the twelve cities were situated within the south, north, west and east. Three cities in each cardinal direction, with each city having its own range of territory.


    Each of these cities represented a different part of humanity, that used their owns means to settle, evolve and adapt to this world. Damien''s city being within the West, where they adapted through brute forcing their way against the new environment.


    Their technology and artifacts were far behind the others, but their standing was not low. After all, humanity''s strongest fighters and humanity''s most terrifying organization resides there.


    But overall, all of humanity''s stronghold covered a diamond shaped range. The twelve cities were the outermost defense line of humanity, and Damien''s city was at the very outermost area.


    They were considered the vanguard cities. Each cardinal direction had one.


    From there, it was very easy to leave the range of humanity''s stronghold. And that was what the duo did. Within a week''s time, they were far from humanity''s influence.


    They had covered a distance of 30,000 miles within the week, rest included, as they traveled at 200 miles per hour.


    "How far are we..." Juliette murmured under her breathe and sighed heavily. She was not used to such tedious work. She wanted to rest as soon as possible.


    "A few more miles." Damien responded. Juliette immediately retorted, "Big brother, you say that every day. I''m tired now."


    "..."


    He had nothing to say to that, and just kept walking ahead. Juliette also did not say anything else and followed behind him. Suddenly, she thought of a question and asked, "Where are we going by the way."


    "Thought you would never ask." Damien scoffed at the question that took seven whole days to be formted. Juliette pouted and retorted, "Well I''m asking now."


    "Well I''m not gonna answer you."


    "Well you should."


    The bickered for a while longer until Damien came to a halt. They now currently stood in the middle of nowhere, and before them was a cave that seemed out of ce.


    It was not arge cave, but quite small. Yet humans can easily walk through if they bent down a bit. "Are we going in?" Juliette inquired with curiosity.


    "Yeah. We have reached your stop." Damien replied, and became the first to enter the cave. "Oh wow. We really are." Juliette followed in after leaving behind such ament.

 Chapter 40 World Transformation I

    ?After going in, the duo, crouched down for more fluid movement, and went deeper into the cave. After a moment, Damien went on his knees and began crawling deeper.


    "..."


    Juliette felt gobsmacked when she saw that, but did so nheless. They continued to crawl for a while longer. A while, that just so happened to be for almost half an hour.


    But seeing as Damien had no change of expression whatsoever, Juliette grit her teeth and bared with it. She had to.


    She knew that Damien was innately arrogant, and would never do such a thing under normal circumstances. Him doing it now was unexpected.


    There was definitely a purpose to this.


    She thought, and further went ahead to delude herself into believing that assumption. She had no choice. It was the only way she could bare with this all.


    For Damien''s sake.


    ''For Damien''s sake!!'' She thought, and the next half an hour, they went through the crawling in silence. Damien was stoic.


    Juliette had also closed off any other emotions, and went through the bitter crawling in silence. Her expressions also showed no signs of internal struggling.


    She was determined to do her best.


    And just like that, time ticked by. And Juliette did not know when, but the next moment they began falling. It came out of nowhere, and caught her off guard.


    "Kyaaa!!!"


    Juliette screamed out due to shock, but Damien kept silent. He hurriedly grabbed onto her falling figure, and stuffed her into his embrace, holding her tightly.


    Being forcefully stuffed into her man''s embrace shut Juliette up instantly. Especially his scent, it calmed her down so much, she felt at peace... and at her safest.


    Then the next moment.


    Bang!!


    They crashed heavily into a pile of broken down machinery, old rotting wood, and other unnecessary tools one could find at the garbage dump.


    Damien opened his eyes, and was woken up by a few notifications that clouded his vision.


    [ You have been termed as "The Anomaly(???)" By a terrifying entity at the level of Existence ]


    [ Information Unavable. Passive effects, nobody can discern your Fate or Destiny, Karma is extremely loose around you, and Fortune and Misfortune intertwine around your soul to your favor. Not even gods can see through you ]


    "What?" Damien was shocked, and that was not all, more also appeared when he was about to get up from the pile of trash.


    [ You have automatically learned the Unique Ability "Runic Encryption" ]


    [ You have obtained the following Derivative Extra Abilities, "Rune Mastery" and "Runic Eye" ]


    "..."


    Damien had no idea what was going on, but he did know that from here, things would get a bit tricky and chaotic for them. Why? Well because¨C


    "INTRUDERS!! INTRUDERS!!"


    "OITSIDERS!! OUTSIDERS!!"


    "KYA~KYAAAA!!"


    "RUN!! RUUUUUN!!"


    "OH NO!!!"


    "..."


    "..."


    A group of wingless creatures floated here and there in excitement. Yes, excitement. None seemed wary or really frightened from this small urrence.


    "What..?" Juliette said, that word being the only word that could make it out of her mouth. Meanwhile, Damien warned her, "Careful. These are godlike creatures."


    He whispered to Juliette and her expression immediately turned sour and cautious. "You shouldn''t feel threatened though. They are harmless... physically though."


    "Wait, what?" Damien ignored her and stood up. He ignored everything else and instead walked towards the groups of thumb sized little guys that were sorounded by glitter.


    "Where are we?" He frowned and asked the lead figure, who had the brightest golden essence circting its body.


    "Ah? Oh? Wee!! Wee, two legged creatures." The young pixie greeted Damien in excitement, circling around him with terrifying speed.


    "I am weed? That''s not important, little thing, where am I?" Damien frowned and acted clueless as he continued to question the pixie. He also feigned anger.


    "Ah... that. You''re within our world, our realm, and our little paradise." The little pixie said, releasing small explosions and party tricks everywhere from its tiny hands.


    "The hell?" Damien feigned even more curiosity and intrigue, as the little pixie also further exined more about where they were at.


    This ce was called Pixie Paradise.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    A strange realm that was not bound by the Realm Rules that bound each and every Realm out there. Their Realm could exist within lower worlds where concept of Realms don''t exist.


    Or in great worlds, where even outer Realms are nothing but a portion of its great figure. They were truly, and utterly not bound by the realm of the world as well.


    The pixies here also grew stronger ording to the world they are within. Their royalty surpass said world, their nobles are at the peak of said world, and their civilians are around the high levels of the world.


    Basically, they are no pushovers.


    But what made them loved by everyone was because of their treasures, resources and most importantly, their information that stretched everywhere.


    Where existence can exist, or even where existence cannot exist. Just mention the ce, and with a treasure as payment, they can take you there in a jiffy.


    Damien wanted to use two of these functions, and if lucky, he could leave Juliette here to train for the meantime. As for what he would be doing, it was a secret~


    One thing that was sad though, was that to enter this paradise, one had to genuinely impress the pixies. And to do that, one has to have suffered for quite the time.


    In their case, they crawled like dogs for over an hour until they finally got epted. And even then, the greeting itself was being thrown into a pile of garbage.


    No sane person could bare that level of disrespect. Not even Damien. But because of strength, treasures and resources, he had to humble himself.


    "..."


    Juliette thought, when she heard of theplete definition of the ce they were in, from both the pixies, and from Damien.


    And her thoughts were on point.


    "I am an adventurer trying to get strong as fast as possible. Is it possible to do that here?" Damien continued to fake his character, and inquired with curiosity.


    "Why get strong though?" The little pixie asked back, and Damien feigned anger. "It was that bastard. That man, he, he... I''ll get my revenge. No matter what!!"


    "..."


    Juliette stared at Damien in stupor, as she felt like the man before her was not her man. The whole day, he has been acting strange, and she could not follow up.


    Was he not embarrassed?


    Meanwhile, Damien grit his teeth and his chest heaved up and down in apparent anger. The little pixie seemed frightened and pulled back, "Such malicious intent... such anger... so cooooool!!"


    The little pixie eximed in excitement, followed by a chorus of little pixie that also seemed impressed by Damien''s anger, and words.


    "Soooo cooooool..."


    "A story? A story?! A STORY!!!"


    "I want to hear!! I want to hear!!"


    "Hihihi..."


    The little guys danced around Damien and said all kinds of childish words, while showing childish attitudes towards him.


    "..."


    Juliette was all the while, still surprised. She ultimately moved closer to Damien and whispered to him, "Whats going on here? I am confused." Damien whispered back, "y along, and just treat them like kids."


    "Aren''t... they gods?" She asked, and he replied, "They are. And can be even more. But in essence, the fact that we are here, means that they have a good impression of us."


    "So just y along the troupe of being my unfortunate woman." Damien concluded, and Juliette looked at him strangely. Unfortunate? How unfortunate.


    "Ney ney, can you tell us about your story? Can you? Can you?!" The little pixie asked, and more and more pixies flew by and circled around them.


    They were hundreds of thousands of little sprites of colorful light around them, lighting up the whole garbage dump site.


    "Sure. But If I do, will you help me out?" Damien said, looking expectant at the little pixies. "Sure. I, as the 337th pixie prince, will abide by my word."


    "Alright. Sign here please." Damien took out a contract he wrote down on a piece of board, using white chalk. He presented it to the little pixie prince with a smile.


    "..."


    The little pixie prince immediately knew what the runic encryptions meant with a single nce, and speechlessly stared at Damien. "You don''t wanna hear my story?" Damien further asked.


    "Well... I mean, there is no need¨C"


    "Okay. Suit yourself. So, how do I get out of here?" Damien put away great wooden board and asked. The little pixie was once again speechless.


    At the end, being a curious race, or the number one curious race within Existence, they ultimately resigned to their fate and signed the contract of oath equality that Damien presented.


    He had to do this. These little guys had practically no shame at all. They were shameless to the core.


    Damien then fabricated the most heart breaking, one sided, despair inducing, tragedy of a lifetime. And it was not like his ideas had no value.


    Someone had suffered such a fate from the future. A few people. He had added all the top ten most heart breaking stories he ever heard of, and told them to these guys.


    Why? For favor.

 Chapter 41 World Transformation II

    ?After Damien told his fabricated story, and the group of pixies sobbed at his story, two minutes have gone by. And in that time, the pixie prince sobbed the greatest out of all of them.


    "What a sad, sad story." It nced towards Juliette''s stomach, and even more sadness oozed out of its body.


    "..."


    Juliette did not say anything at all, and just stood there. In the story, she actually lost her children, through miscarriages. That was sad, but not all. She was actually almost s*xually assaulted.


    Ten times.


    She could not believe that these little guys would fall for this. "Missy, if you want, we can give you a royal wish that can alter the whole of Existence, and give you back your offspring. Do you want it?"


    The little pixie prince inquired out of pity. Juliette was warned about their sneaky behavior, and turned to Damien, who nodded at her. "Yes." She agreed.


    "Well, would you like an ordinary pixie wish? A noble pixie wish? A royal pixie wish? A mystic pixie wish? Or an enigmatic pixie wish?" The little guy shrewdly asked, like a business man.


    "Enigmatic." Damien said, then added, "I feel like that''s what we can currently afford. Anything else, and it won''t be much. I need the best of the best to seed."


    "...Amazing. A great man, must have ambitions. Well, if you want that, you have to go through fifteen of our trials. Would you like that?" The little pixie asked, ignoring Damien.


    But he, himself did not ignore it. "We''ll take two wishes, each one for each of us."


    "...Okay then. Anything else, unfortunate hero." It asked, and Damien shamelessly responded. "Do you have any other specialties of your kind? I''d like to experience some."


    Hearing his words, the little pixie prince beamed once again, "Yes!!" It then further borated, "We have the God Tree. A Tree that can give you any three great rewards of your choice, if, and only IF, you can impress it."


    "We also have the Faith Pools, that can give out abundant faith to anyone who is a god, or is searching for a way to be one. One barrel per person." It winked at thest sentence.


    "What do you say? Would you love to try them out?" It asked, all excited and expectant. Damien also feigned excitement and responded, "I would love to."


    "That''s freaking great!! But first, what would your wish be?" It asked, rubbing it''s palms together, as sparkles danced within its eyes.


    "I wish to avoid theing future." Damien casually said such, and the little pixie''s expression froze. "I cannot do such a thing."


    "I wish to be Absolute." He changed his words, and the reply, "Oh? I can make that possible to the level of the entire Existential Bubble."


    "I mean beyond Existentially."


    "Forget it."


    Both man and pixie stared at each other until Damien changed his words, "Fine. I wish to make humanity transcend their past and future. Is that possible?"


    "Hmm?" The little pixie prince thought about it, searching within its records (brain), what humanity was. Momentster, it beamed and heavily nodded its head. "Simple. Done deal."


    "Now, to seal this dealpletely, here are your trials young man." It waved it''s hand and a Temte appeared before Damien, which would determine to what extent his wish would reach.


    [ TING!! ]


    [ You have triggered the pixie race''s Hidden Quest: Wish Trials. You will be given trials that will be formed from your Fate, Karma, Fortune and Misfortune ]


    [ Once you seed, you will obtain a Hidden ss that corrtes to your being and that of your wish. To unlock the next trial, one must first defeat the former trial ]


    [ 1. Child of Inferno ]


    [ Detail: The infamous King of Inferno has nted out multiple off spring within each powerful race within thest century. These off springs are born demigods, yet the most powerful and most favored off spring resembles the King of Inferno more, and has inherited his Inferno ze ]


    [ You are to hunt down the Inferno Prince, and see to it that he is either extinguished, or brought to the light. For another King of Inferno, might destroy the bnce the Dimensional Realms have established ]


    [ Reward: Infernal Energy Cirction Technique ]


    "..."


    Damien read through the first trial, and was impressed. He was more d because this trial, had to do with one of his close friends from the previous timeline.


    It was striking two birds with one stone.


    "Missy, you''re next. What would your wish be?" The little pixie ignored Damien and moved on to Juliette. She first paused and slightly panicked, for there was a lot to wish for.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    But for her, ''Wouldn''t wishing for a happy ever after with Damien be the greatest wish for me?'' She thought, butter felt slight pain on her forehead.


    "Don''t waste your wish on something that is bound to happen any day from tomorrow." Damien reminded, and went back to assessing his trial.


    "..."


    Juliette pouted at his words, but found that they did make sense. She then thought of what wish she truly desired the most right. What did she need, that would benefit her family the most?


    She thought and thought but coulde to an answer. She felt like there was a lot to wish for, and she could not choose from each one.


    "Don''t stress yourself. You have a couple weeks till we leave, so just rx." Damien patted her shoulder and said, then turned to the pixie prince.


    "We''ll deal with the God Tree and the Faith Poolter. For now, we are tired. Is there anywhere we can rest?" He asked, despite knowing the answer.


    "Yes, there sure is." The pixie prince waved his hand, and golden glitter spread out everywhere. Momentster, arge mansion appeared before them.


    "..."


    "..."


    The duo was stupefied, and the pixie prince said "You can stay here for the time being. And please make yourselves at home. The world is currently going through an evolution, and it would not end till a few dayster."


    "An evolution?"


    The duo questioned at the same time, and the little pixie nodded at their shock and further exined. "Yes, an evolution, or rather, a transformation. It would be simr to a Tier 1 material realm by then."


    "A realm that isparable to Reality if you will. In other words, this world would be the equivalent structure of a reality, and be formed through nothing but Universal Rules that make up a Reality."


    "..."


    "..."


    The duo was even more shocked at hearing this, but the pixie prince did not stop. "With this, people''s potential would increase by a point, and the overall Mana and time ratio would be different than the outside world."


    "The density would also thicken, that including gravity. Basically, without the protection of a god or demigod, life would be a bit too difficult for civilian mortals." He concluded with a nod.


    Juliette hurriedly asked in shock, "Wait, what do you mean our potential would increase?" The pixie prince looked at her, but the one that replied was Damien.


    "If your potential was 10, then it would be 11. Something like that. And the higher the Tier of the Realm, the higher the increase would be. A Tier 7 Realm, would increase potential by 7 points."


    "But that''s for another time. What''s important is that, potential determines how much Mana one can absorb every minute, and how far they could reach in life. The higher it is, the greater your path of power would be." He concluded as such.


    Then the pixie prince took it from there, and as for time ratio, at Tier 1, the world would flow seven times slower than other worlds. A year here, would be seven years down below.


    "But because of that, the path of Ascension here also bes seven times greater than normal worlds. If you include the +1 potential mark, then you all have it better than average worlds." It also concluded.


    And Damien nodded, "What it said."


    "I see." Juliette said in understanding. Basically, the world just became foreign and stronger to her. And for some reason, that excited her greatly.


    "Well you should not worry, we are within our own world now. We will be unaffected by the change greatly." The pixie prince said, Damien nodded and added, "Mana absorbed here will also be increased by ten times. Use it wisely."


    "Yes." Juliette nodded in excitement. She already had a one thousand three hundred times boost thanks to her affinity and bracelets, adding ten times to that, would be over a hundred times more than usual.


    Then a few dayster, adding the effects of the Tier 1 Great World of Gaea, then would it not top to almost five hundred times the Mana that she could absorb?


    But more importantly, "With the breathing technique, would I not absorb over hundreds of Mana every second? Within a day, how much is that? Then within weeks?!''


    Juliette was looking forward to that, for right now, she had already her breathing in the fresh, sorounding Mana of her environment.


    Damien also did not let off such an opportunity off. Juliette had spent many efforts teaching him and his parents the breathing method, then spent much more teaching it to the Gray House.


    But nobody was as lucky as her and her man.

 Chapter 42 World Transformation III

    ?Time went by just like that. Damien went through the garbage dump, and returned in bitterness. There was nothing worth noting there.


    And thus while waiting for the world to evolve, Damien and Juliette absorbed Mana while being entertained by the group of pixies, and spoiled rotten by them.


    At first, they absorbed Mana in the five hundreds every second. And in just five days, they umted terrifying levels of Mana that went over to fifty million units.


    And on this day, before the World Transformation into a Tier 1 Realm took ce, Juliette and Damien had a conversation of their own.


    "Big brother, what actually are we doing here?" Juliette inquired out of curiosity, and this time, Damien gave her an answer, "For all the three rewards they mentioned."


    "For a wish, a special power and the Faith Pool. They would alle in handy to us. But most importantly, for the Mana, and for you to learn Mystic Magic." Damien said.


    "Mystic Magic?" Julie inquired in curiosity once again, and Damien patiently exin, "A unique branch of magic that pertains to godhood. With faith, you can practically do a lot of things."


    "And yes, like giving out ordinary level wishes. Once strong enough, maybe even powerful wishes. Or sharing power, or other mystical powers." He added.


    "It''s that powerful?" Julie eximed in surprise. "It definitely is. It''s also called as the power of miracles that gods use to feign being different from others."


    "I see. And I''ll have learned such powerful magic. But in the meantime, what would you be doing?" She asked, looking at him intently.


    "I''ll go do my trial, meet an old friend, and recruit an entire race if possible." Damien casually said, then added, "I''ll do this before we even begin with the other rewards."


    "I''ll go immediately after the world finishes its evolution, and when I''m at least ready enough to use a single Unique Ability without much of a problem." He further exined.


    "So you''re leaving me behind?"


    "Yup."


    "For how long?"


    "Around... a week. If the time is different here, then make that a day for you. If not, just make it a week here for you, and around two months for me." Damien exined.


    "..."


    Juliette thought about it, then a momentter, gave up. He would still go even if she begged him to stay, so instead of bing a burden, she might as well as just, "I''ll do my best."


    "You do that." Damien nodded at her, then continued sorting out the artifacts they had, and the resources as well. It was theplete treasures of the Gray Family, the Gray House and Juliette.


    They were a lot, and if broken down to individual pieces, and used by a powerful forger, they could obtain around slightly over fifteen godly artifacts.


    Most likely enough for every member within the Gray House and the Gray Family, Juliette and Damien included. Oh, he also took her bracelets as well and the storage ring.


    "I''ll return this to you once I''m back." He added, and Juliette hurriedly waved her hands, "No no, it''s fine, you can keep it." She clearly was still half doubtful if his previous actions were serious or just a joke.


    "Alright." With that, they both kept quiet and went back to their own work. Minutester, the World Finally finished its first cycle of Evolution, and it was simr to a Realm.


    Boom!!


    And such an explosion urred within the core of the World, as it expanded to more than being double its size. The world also expanded more than double its size as well.


    Countries became two times more further apart from one another, Lakes and Rivers became twice as deep as and as wide, mountains twice as big, etc.


    The world really expanded, and what followed next, was a burst of Mana that was seven times thicker than before. It was so thick, one could easily fill it within their breathe.


    The level of The world had also advanced to the point that even the person without qualifications to cultivate, could now cultivate as the lowest of low leveled cultivators.


    There was no longer "unqualified" people to cultivate. And most importantly, within the world core, Universal Rules spread out and circted around it like typhoons and hurricanes.


    There were countless numbers of Universal Rules, countless numbers of each Universal Rule, thus making them immeasurable in numbers and density.


    The world core was no longer just a World Core now, but something grander. And to not give such a grand thing a name, would be sphemy itself.


    < The Reality World Core >


    A neutral voice rang out, as The Reality World Core named itself, and gained sentience that was far beyond just being a Will. It was Omniscience, Omnipotent and Omnipresent within this world.


    But due to the low level of The World, it was still far weaker than The Primordial Source, hence demoting it to bing just nigh-omniscient, nigh-omnipotent and nigh-omnipresent.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    But even that was impressive in its own right. As it was now second only to one entity. Yet even then, they were not free to do as they please as of yet.


    Back within Damien''s City Stronghold, the humans suddenly felt pressure from all directions and they got pressed slightly down.


    They felt like they had a burden ced upon their shoulders, yet was not that heavy burdening. It was simr to constantly wearing bag full of books.


    Those that were First League Combatants suffered no pressure whatsoever, and instead felt the abundant Mana that exploded out everywhere.


    Within a minute, some absorbed seven times more Mana than they were expected to absorb, and felt genuinely surprised and happy.


    Not only this City Stronghold, but the whole entirety of humanity had the same experience. And not just them, even the wolf tribe nearby had simr experiences.


    Their evolutionary process were also enhanced seven times, making them evolve even faster, into terrifying supernatural wolves that could spit out ice, breathe fire or even run on wind as if they were running on clouds..


    More species experienced gic variations, while those that were sapient experienced greater Mana levels, and World pressure than normal.


    The world had changed inside out.


    Meanwhile, Juliette also experienced simr changes as well, but much more than she had expected.


    This ce was like a separate Realm before, and with the world evolving, it became something much greater, more like a level above the current world.


    Hence within this ce, Julie could absorb terrifying Mana every second. It was ten times more than before, being almost five thousand units of Mana per second.


    "Amazing... this is just purely amazing." Juliette eximed in amazement, and Damien besides her also could not help but open his eyes in shock.


    They then exchanged gazes, and continued to do nothing but cultivate. And by the same time tomorrow, the couple had vast amounts of Mana, that threatened to explode their being.


    ording to Damien''s guess, their Mana reserves were inching closer to mid staged Third League Combatants, which were nigh-godly individuals.


    The children of gods.


    The powerful ascenders.


    The limit breakers.


    And yet, they were but First League Combatants. And because of this, Juliette finally seeded in the Epithet Evolution Trial.


    Her Grand "Pioneer of Mana" evolved into the Mythical "Grand Mana Pioneer".


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ Yoi have seeded in your Evolutionary Epithet Trial. Your Grand Epithet "Pioneer of Mana", has evolved to the Mythical Epithet "Grand Mana Pioneer" ]


    [ Grand Mana Pioneer (MYTH1) :- Grand Mana Pioneer, someone loved and adored by Mana more than even spirits. Increases the cultivation of Mana per second by 250%. Increases the control and affinity towards Mana greatly ]


    ''This alone makes me stronger than ordinary people, and gives me a big head-startpared to my peers.'' Juliette thought.


    And as she had such a thought, Damien suddenly stood up and flexed his muscles to loosen his joints. Juliette opened her eyes and inquired, "You''re leaving?"


    "Yeah." He agreed, then added. "Be a good girl and behave yourself. Who knows, if you seed, you might be rewarded." He joked.


    As for who would reward her, him, or the pixies, Juliette did not mind either way. Both were great. "Hm. I''ll be sure to behave myself. You take care as well."


    "I will. I''m only meeting a few half gods, that''s all." He said, and took a small luggage bag and left. Juliette bitterly smiled and finally realized the main reason she was being left behind.


    ''He''s going to fight gods already?'' She thought, looking forward to the day that she would seem capable enough to fight gods as well, from Damien''s perspective.


    Damien though, had no such thought. To him, Juliette was more than ready to fight half gods, or rather, defend herself against demigods and simr leveled beings.


    He just believed that staying behind would be more probable for her.


    "Ah? Unfortunate hero, you''re leaving?" The pixie prince shed besides him and asked in intrigue. Damien nodded, "Yeah. But I''ll be back."

 Chapter 43 Wolf Crisis I

    ?"Of course you will. Your woman favored by misfortune would be here with us." The pixie prince said matter-of-factly.


    Damien ignored it, "Yeah. While you''re at it, she''s quite the talent, would you mind teaching her a few mystic magical arts? I''ll pay you once I''m back." And said.


    "Hmm... I will. But you bettere back with something I''ve never really seen, or worth me studying. Something like... an anomaly like you." It said cheerily.


    ''Anomaly. That term again.'' Damien thought but his expression did not change much. He just nodded, "I''ll thank you in advance. By the way, do you have any teleportation scrolls? I''d also love to borrow a few barrels of faith essence."


    "..."


    "I''ll pay for all of these." He added.


    "DEAL!!"


    ~~~


    Within the Wolf Valley...


    Thousands upon thousands of wolves gathered below a hill, silent and calm. They sat down and gazed up at the hill before them with reverance and fanaticism.


    The wolves numbered over ten thousand in numbers, and the space was still vast enough to umte more and more wolves.


    And before the numerous numbers of ordinary wolves at the civilian levels, there were thousands of wolves within the First Stage of the First League, equivalent to Apprentice Professions.


    They were numerous and in various colors, some having a mixture of blue fur, some a mixture of red fur, and some other colors mixed in within their furs.


    Their eyes were also cold and majestic.


    Before them, on a slightly higher altitude, hundreds of wolves stood, gazing down at the numerous wolves with a kingly gaze.


    They were at the Second Stage, and were equivalent to Adept Professions. Their fur were half changed to different colors, and to make them stand out even more, they had a small horn on their forehead.


    Above them, were tens of wolves that had an even more terrifying presence to them.


    They had three small horns that seemed to form a circr shape on their heads, like a half crown. Their furs werepletely changed colors to different ones, from the usual ash gray.


    Their gaze were even more majestic than the rest, but the most terrifying gaze amongst them would be that of the wolf that stood at the highest hill.


    It waspletely gold in color, and had sky blue eyes. Lightning and Thunder shed before its legs from time to time, and it had five long horns on its head that formed a crown.


    It''s size was also thergest amongst all of these wolves, being twice asrge as those below it, which were 50%rger than those below them, so on and so forth.


    It was over ten meters tall, and multiple meters long. It stood there towering over the might and majesty of the lower leveled wolves with its presence.


    It then moved its gaze over all the wolves, and they humbly lowered their heads in respect. The alpha wolf with a cold gaze, growled slightly and the other wolves looked up in excitement.


    The sky suddenly began to rumble and roar, causing all the wolves to cry out in excitement, and let out howls of might and power.


    "Awooo!!"


    "Awooo!!"


    "Awooo!!"


    But then the alpha wolf raised up its head, and let out a howl of its own. A howl that shook the earth, and shattered the sound barrier with sheer force and might.


    "AWOOOO!!!"


    BOOOM!!


    The sky also reciprocated it''s howl, and spread out a loud thunderp that shook the sky. The glory of a King spreads throughout thend and the sky.


    And this alpha wolf... was one such king.


    ~~~


    Outside the wolf Valley, approximately tens of miles away, a man who sat upon arge boulder frowned slightly. The roar that came from within the wolf Valley shook him slightly.


    It was not that it brought fear, but that the power within, was far greater than he could bear with his current strength.


    "How strong have these guys developed since a week ago." David thought to himself, as it has now been a week since they had been watching over the wolves.


    And likely, two weeks since Damien and Juliette went out on their journey. As well as two days since the world had its transformation into a Tier 1 Realm.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    And in just those two days, a Second League Wolf had appeared. Not just a First League, but a Second League entity.


    That was not all, the few tribes within this valley were called into a single wolf tribe, containing tens of Advanced Leveled Wolves, hundreds of Adept Leveled Wolves, thousands of Apprentice Leveled Wolves and tens of thousands of Civilian Leveled Wolves.


    Just that alone was terrifying, but there just had to be a Master Leveled Wolf within an entirely different League altogether. Humanity might not... survive this.


    David thought, and as he had such a thought, a ck sh of lightning appeared right besides him, and out of it appeared a ck cloaked woman, Esther.


    "Any leeway?" David asked, and she shook her head, "No. There are a lot of powerful wolves, and one alpha. It''s powers is far greater than anything we have ever seen."


    David clicked his tongue in amazement and inquired, "Any hope we can survive this ordeal, if you and I were to work together?"


    "Yes." Esther nodded. From Damien''s words, it could be deduced that Unique sses could allow a person to skip a single realm, and Legendary sses were two realms of strength.


    Then Hidden sses could do the same for twelve realms. An initial First League Combatant, could actually affect even minor ranked gods with their ss Skills.


    But the Wolf Alpha seemed to have a Divine Evolutionary Path that was simr to Divine sses. This alone made it difficult for the duo to challenge it.


    Only if they worked together, would they stand a chance. But behind the Wolf Alpha, was the Beta Wolves with Divine Evolutionary Paths as well, the Delta Wolves with Legendary Evolutionary Paths, then the Omega Wolves with Unique Evolutionary Paths.


    The duo alone, even with the help of the Gray House, would not be able to take on the Wolf pack as it was. They stood no chance whatsoever.


    "Damn. What now?" David inquired from his wife, who frowned and sighed. "I don''t know. But if things remain the same, more and more wolves would only gather up."


    "What do you mean?"


    "They are recruiting Wolves from our Cardinal direction. As it seems, each City Stronghold from the West has a pack of Wolf at their tail, and now, all these wolves are being called here."


    Esther deduced, then added, "I think the powerful howl was also a signal to dere kingship to the other Wolf tribes... And if my guess is not entirely off the mark, maybe even wolves from other Cardinals as well."


    "..."


    David did not say anything and only sighed at that. Just this Tribe alone had tens of thousands of wolves, what of the wolves from all Tribes that soround the humans?


    Would they be over a hundred thousand wolves? And how many Alphas would be demoted to being just mere subordinates?


    Just these thoughts alone were terrifying. But even more extreme, would be if more wolves from even outside of humanity''s strongholds were called up.


    The concept of over a million wolves charging towards just billions of humans was fear inducing. And the couple felt that.


    "..."


    "..."


    ~~~


    Within a wolf Tribe far away from Damien''s Stronghold, a wolf alpha that had white fur heard the thunderous wolf howl that challenged all alphas and growled in response.


    The wolves under it felt challenged as well, and barked at it to ept the challenge. The peak First League Wolf fell for its subordinates incitements and led the pack towards the howl.


    ~~~


    Within another location, yet inside the Western Cardinal of humanity''s influence, another wolf tribe was rushing out towards the wolf howl that challenged all alphas.


    Over ten thousand wolves moved out with might and fervor, sting off like the wind towards a single direction.


    The City Strongholds that had always been affected by these wolves were surprised, and fearful of what this meant.


    Yet seeing the direction that the wolves took, only made them calm down slightly.


    "It''s towards Shade City Stronghold. And from our spies within, it seems like even their wolves are restless. The roar was also sent out from that direction as well." A man reported to a kingly figure that sat upon a throne.


    The throne, or rather the entire room, their outfits and the atmosphere everywhere, screamed of medieval loudly. Yet a medieval era of cold blooded weaponry and war.


    Even the king wore armor, below his kingly robes. His muscles threatened to explode out of his body, and his face was full of dull brownish beard.


    "Is that so? It seems like things are not going as nned for those brute headed fellows. What did they do, I presume." The man on the throne snickered to himself.


    Meanwhile, the woman sitting besides him on his right, seemed to care none about anything that was going on here. While the young maiden on his left seemed worried.

 Chapter 44 Wolf Crisis II

    ?She tried to hide her worry within herself, but it was hard to do such a thing. Luckily, both King and Queen had yet to realize that she was worried.


    "Is the something your Majesty would like us to do, in this matter?" The man that reported everything bowed his head lower and asked for further instructions.


    "No. For now, just watch and keep me updated on what''s going on." The King said, and his words were final.


    The man nodded then stood up, bowed once again to the Queen and Princess, then left the throne room just like that.


    Meanwhile, the princess was all the more worried, yet did not dare say a word at all. She just humbly lowered her head, and frowned.


    "..."


    *** Princess Loptr ***


    "Father, mother, if you may excuse me." I stood up from my throne, and humbly lowered my head to my parents who sat besides me.


    It was both out of respect and fear.


    "Leaving already, princess?" My father, the king of this City Stronghold, asked with a smile. It was a smile that I presumed had no emotions within.


    "Yes. I do not feel well." I added, not pointing out that fact. He nodded his head to me in understanding, as the smile left his face.


    Mother turned to look at me briefly, then turned away once again. She barely gives me attention. Hence we barely talk at all. But by now, I am already used to that.


    I was never close with niether my parents, nor my siblings. There was no bond to bound us together anyway.


    I hence left the throne room and hurried all the way to my room. It was a bit far away, yet notpletely that far.


    I hurriedly arrived and shut down my door. I then hurriedly off to my bed and threw myself upon it, without a care of my etiquette.


    "Aaaaarrgghhh!!!" I stuffed my head within one of my soft, airy pillows and screamed my lungs out. I was frustrated. I was angry. I was despairing. I was just sad.


    This was not fair.


    Why was everything happening to begin with? And why am I connected to it?!


    I cried out every word with bitterness. My mind was jumbled up, and I was definitely within a cycle of self me.


    Some may ask why was I even in such a state, when I clearly knew I was mentally wounding myself. It was simple.


    [ TING!! ]


    [ You have caused misery for tens of people. Plus +5,3 Life Essence obtained ]


    [ You have caused misery for tens of people. Plus +3,7 Life Essence obtained ]


    [ You have caused misery for tens of people. Plus +8,9 Life Essence obtained ]


    [ You have... ]


    [ You have... ]


    [ You have caused misery for yourself. Plus +10 Life Essence obtained ]


    [ You have leveled up ]


    "..."


    It was because of this wretched ss of mine. I was termed as <The Fool>.


    It sounded badass and cool. I know. But then again, I am just a young maiden. Why am I suffering from all of this?


    And it was not something I chose. But IT chose me!! Why me out of all people?!


    Haaah~


    I sighed in anger, then my thoughts drifted back to the definition of the ss.


    [ The Fool (HIDDEN) ]


    [ Introduction: The Providence of one who will be thest one standing, the one who will will be the downfall of the gods, the demise of the outer, the vengeance of the primals, and the one who belongs nowhere... The final trickster that shall usher in the End of Times. One who Fools. One who is a Fool. And one who has been Fooled ]


    [ Potential: Unrivaled Potential that stretches to cover the whole of Existence, and possibly transcend all Restrictions, Rules and Mandates of Existence and rule over all that are below. To be the Ender of Existence ]


    [ ss Bonuses: +3 SP to INT, WIS and AFF every level up, +8 Free SP every level up, +8 AP every level up, +700% Life Essence required to Level up, +400% to Mana every level up ]


    [ ss Skills: "Child of Misfortune", "Taboo Blood", "Thousand Faces", "Giant''s Domain", "The Fool" ]<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    [ Comment: A ss that ultimately calls upon the destruction of everything rted to the user. There would always bring Misfortune everywhere... and the cause will always be... you ]


    "..."


    This was my fate. But the thing that nerves me the most, is thement below.


    How is it my fault? I didn''t do anything. Nor did I choose this ss to begin with. It chose me. IT. Chose. Me.


    I am innocent!!


    But most importantly, the ce where my beloved lives, is the ce that my Misfortune has unexpectedly attacked.


    Why am I at fault? You may ask. Well that''s simple. The reason was one of my ss Skills. One that I dread the most.


    [ Taboo Blood (CLASS): An Ability that sends out the Primal Bloodline of <The Fool> to a chosen being that resonates more with it, to spread the purpose and thoughts of their parent. urs automatically. Passive Ability. Targets included: Alpha Wolf(Progressing), ??? ]


    This...


    This was the reason why I was ming myself so much. It was my blood that made the Alpha Wolf to be born. It was my blood that made it this strong.


    It was my blood that gave it a terrifying Evolutionary Path. It was my blood that would take the life of my beloved. My prince charming.


    Aaaaarrgghhh!!!


    I hate myself. I hate my life. I hate my fate. I hate... I hate...


    "..."


    Tears broke down out of my eyes once again, and I stuffed my face into my pillow. There was no going back from this one. My life is ruined. It''s over.


    A moment of silence urred, and I silently cried, while thinking about ways to easily off myself. Until when an idea struck me.


    "Wait, there is something I can do... I think there is." I hurriedly checked the definition of my Abilities, and found the one I was dearly looking for at the moment.


    [ Thousand Faces (CLASS): The Ability that can change the face of the user into a thousand faces, a hundred races, ten forms and a single destiny. Nobody either than mid ranked gods and above, or those with abundant Fates and Fortune can easily tell you apart ]


    Yes. This one. All I just need is time to imnt my n. After all, it would still take the wolves tens of days, or even a month to gather up at where my kin is.


    I thought and stood up from my bed, wiping the tears on my face. In the meanwhile, I made sure to steel my heart for the actions that I was going to make.


    It was no different than ying two countries, two powerhouses, two Strongholds.


    Yet it has to be done.


    Time ticked by, and the next day arrived. I bathed, made myself look descent and wore descent clothing.


    I then had breakfast with my family, my brothers being out. Somewhere at the army, trying to obtain a few pointers, or so they im.


    They are out hunting for strong fellows to work for them. I myself was the only sister amongst all us three siblings. But that did not matter.


    After breakfast, I left with my maid and guards, exploring the city. From there, I ordered to stay within a inn for the weekend. My guards were sent back to tell my father, and he responded with a yes.


    I knew he cared less for me.


    Anyway, I then changed my face, my race, and my form. The race change was not obvious enough as I was stillpletely human.


    I was just a different variation of human, ones that I once saw, that reside within the Northern Cardinal. I saw a few when I entered here today, so it would not seem strange to see one leave.


    I thus told my trusted maid to stay put as I would be back. She was mine, and only mine. We were bound by a far stronger bond than my family. She would never betray me.


    I left the inn, then immediately left the City Stronghold from there.


    Then I immediately changed form once again, taking in the form of a being that would be found within our vanguard city, the Shade Stronghold, where my beloved was.


    I also wore military clothes that could be found from their army. We had some due to us having killed a few of their men back then, during our pioneering era.


    As the princess, I had my ways of obtaining a piece or two. There are nobles who keep these for the sake of treasuring those time periods of war.


    I then wrote a letter that detailed how the Shade Stronghold needed help from our Stronghold. The letter was written by one of the prince''s of the Stronghold.


    It spoke of how they would give 60% of all their resources for help. I then took on a form of a badly wounded person, then stumbled my way back to the Stronghold.


    My acting was not bad. I was the number one actor here after all, even my parents were often fooled by my acting. And now, I shall Fool the entire nation.

 Chapter 45 External Help

    ?My acting was not bad. I was the number one actor here after all, even my parents were often fooled by my acting. And now, I shall Fool the entire nation.


    Just as my ss states.


    [ The Fool (CLASS): The one who is a Fool to themselves, and a Fool to those around them. Nobody takes you seriously, even when the scenario is worth taking note of. Yet when Fooling someone, they are bound to fall for your trickery with an absolute effect. Only gods can see through you ]


    [ Hand of Mischief (EXTRA): The one who was naturally born talented. Your acting skills are enhanced to a great degree, and can absolutely affect anyone within the same League when you y a role of Mischief ]


    [ Trickster (EXTRA): One born to bring trouble to anyone but themselves. Your trickery transcends anyone and can affect those of the same League. A trickster is trouble, trouble is trickery, and trickery is a trickster ]


    With these, I am bound to seed with my scheme. All I have to do, is to make sure that I bring help towards my beloved and his people.


    After all... I am the cause of everything.


    *** Narrative ***


    A man that stood guard at the gates of this certain Stronghold, suddenly saw another man limping towards his direction.


    The other person was suspicious, and wore a rusted, dried bloodied armor that was clearly not of this Stronghold. And the fact that they were wounded, was all the more suspicious.


    "Halt. State your name, purpose and identity." The man that stood guard demanded with a strong tone, one that would not allow any in betweens.


    Yet what answered him, was the suspicious person''s body falling down on the floor, listlessly at that. This shook the man that stood guard at the gate.


    "Fuck. The hell is going on?!" He clicked his tongue, and turned back to motion at their sentry that stood guard within, behind and above the city walls.


    They knocked their arrows and aimed at the fallen man. Meanwhile, the man that stood guard slowly moved over to check the matter at hand, and what was going on.


    He could smell the scent of blood and sweat from the man. He definitely went through a lot, and was heavily wounded, the guard thought.


    Once he was there, he found that the suspicious man was indeed heavily wounded, and was now unconscious. Then within his hand, was a letter sealed with arge symbol of the Shade Stronghold.


    ...!!!


    Upon seeing this, the guard stood up and picked up the unconscious man and shouted to the gates, "An emergency, an emergency. Someone get some medics here."


    "What''s the ruckus out there?" Another man of higher standing appeared, and the guard exined the situation.


    Momentster, the second person to appear took the heavily wounded man to a Healer, who was still in the process of leveling by healing people.


    They healed the wounded man until he was barely patched up, and moved him all the way towards the castle, where the king would better deal with this situation.


    Of course, the wounded man was taken to a different location within the King''s estate, and not directly within the Castle. While the letter itself went to the King.


    The King took the letter and read it. He was still with his Queen, and they were still within the throne room. He read the letter, frowned, then snickered.


    The Queen also read the letter and her eyes jumped up in surprise. Was the situation so dreary for them? She thought, not one bit doubting the letter.


    The King also did not doubt the letter. He called up a meeting with his ministers, and they began discussing the matter at hand, and what direction to take.


    Meanwhile, the heavily wounded man was taken to a nearby military branch, and healed by an Apprentice Healer, that was easily able to keep the life of the target.


    "I''ve healed him up, and patched his hidden injuries. He should survive from now, but I suggest you all give him space to breathe air, and rx." The Healer suggested before leaving.


    The guards exchanged gazes and then left to stand guard outside of the small hut. They were told to make sure the man was kept safe at all cost.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Within the camp, the man lied down helplessly and waited for his death. Time ticked by, and days flew by as well.


    The King ultimately came to a decision, and decided to help the Shade Empire by sending two legions as help. The wounded man, still ''unconscious'', heard all of this from the Healer.


    It was as if she was trying tomunicate with her patient, to keep them alive. And this information, greatly benefitted the man.


    After her healing, the Healer left, and the guards once again stood guard outside. But unlike usual, on this very day, the wounded man suddenly took on a different form and shape shifted back into their original form.


    "Whew. Acting for days on end is taxing." Princess Loptr thought to herself, and immediately cast her Ability to affect every person within this small area.


    [ The Director''s Decree (Unique): An Innate Ability that requires no Mana or Essence to cast, but in turn, can only be activated once per year -> week (52 -> 7 days), and under the state when your actions would lead to chaos. Allows the user to affect Fate negatively, and script up a path that would allow for the changes that suits the user''s goals. The greater the chaos, the greater the change ]


    She re-read through the definition once again, and then used it to cover the small range she was in. She covered every man within range of the military branch.


    Then as she did so, a golden book appeared within her hands, and a ck pen oozing out ck miasma also appeared as well.


    She wrote down the script that she wanted to take effect at this moment, and it was not something grand or such, but an alteration of reality using herself.


    [ ...Princess Loptr appeared within the small military branch, and the guards saluted her entrance, no questions asked. She moved within the branch and appeared where the wounded scout of the Shade Stronghold was held. She asked for permission to be granted to her, for her to see the patient.


    [ The guards protested, yet ultimately gave in to the Princess''s charm and trickery, hence giving her entry within the ward. Upon entering, the only thing that the guards heard was a cry of shock within, and as they entered... ]


    She paused, as writing any more, would bring nothing but a burden to her shoulders. She then sighed an deactivated the Ability, watching as the golden book and ck pen disappeared into dust, hoping from the bottom of her heart that this works.


    Meanwhile, a unique universal colored Essence flowed out of her body, and covered the small military branch she was in. The essence began altering reality ording to her thoughts written.


    But princess Loptr was unaware of that, and went on with her n.


    She then cleared her throat, and prepared herself to be shocked. Once ready, she held her head and screamed out in shock, "Aaaahhhh!!" Her cry was heard from outside by everyone within the military branch.


    A cry of pure shock and disbelief, and bits of anger within. It was heart wrenching. Especially so, as it was sudden and abrupt.


    The first to attend her being the guards that stood watch over the ward area, once in, they saw the shocked princess staring at the empty emergency small bed in disbelief.


    The two guards were not focusing on that though, and focused on the princess. "Your highness, is everything okay? Are you hurt? Are you sick?"


    One of the guards asked, and he was meant by a p across the face, and a fuming Loptr. "Am I okay? Am I sick? No!! Are you guys okay? Are you all alright in the head?!"


    She red up at them, and even held the guard''s neck by the cors of his shirt. She then added, "Where is the man? Where is the injured man that was here?!"


    It finally clicked to the two guards that something was wrong. But tge first guard was too frightened to focus on anything. Princess Loptr anger shook him.


    The second guard hurriedly checked the patient''s bed, and there was nobody there. It waspletely empty.


    ...!!!


    The color was drained from their faces as they began trembling in fear. The one held tried to formte his words, yet nothing came through, "Y-Your high... Your highness, we, we don''t... I... We..."


    "I, we this I, we that!! I don''t want to hear that!!" Princess Loptr pushed the man back and due to shock, he fell down on his rear and looked up at her in fear and despair.


    "You''re all useless. How can you let a single man, an injured man, bypass you in daylight? Daylight!! Do you want to die? Are you tired of living?! Huh?!" She roared out at them, and at this time, more and more soldiers rushed in.

 Chapter 46 Internal Help

    ?The guard on the floor hurriedly knelt down and began kowtowing towards her. His face hit the floor heavily until he bled, and his eyes were gushing out tears.


    He kept begging her for his life. "Your highness, your highness, please forgive me, please forgive us. I don''t know what is going on. Your highness, your highness..."


    The other guard also knelt down and held her dress tightly, his eyes and nose releasing tears and mucus respectively, "Your highness, I beg of thee, please spare my life. I, I, I have a loving wife, two sons, a daughter, and parents to... your highness, please spare this humble servant."


    Princess Loptr scoffed at them and moved the hands of the guard that held her dress. It was quite problematic, since he believed that the moment he let go, he would be dead.


    But he ultimately let go, when she gave him a gaze of disdain and anger. She then added, "My father will judge you when he arrives. People like you, who don''t know how to do their jobs should just die."


    She said, but at that moment, a powerful voice also followed after hers. "Who dares dictate the life and death of my people, without my consent?" It asked.


    "Ah? Father." Princess Loptr paused in surprise and proceeded to respectfully bow her head towards her father, as he entered the military branch. The anger on her face partially gone.


    The two guards also shut their mouths and turned to kowtow towards the King, remaining in such a position without moving.


    The King ignored them and looked at his daughter. "Oh? It''s little Loptr doing the dictating. Now why would you want to kill off these young man, hm dear?"


    The King asked her with a stern gaze. And still with a lowered head, Princess Loptr exined the story that urred, one that she derived, and one that she had in mind.


    After listening to her words, the King paused and gazed at the two kneeling guards. They trembled further at his majestic gaze, and dared to not say anything at all.


    "Well in that case, you can kill them off, but before that, I would like you to answer a few questions for me." The King said, and his words made the two guards tremble even more.


    But before his Kingly presence, none dared to raise a word against him. He then set his gaze back on Princess Loptr, who had her own thoughts, ''You give me the authority to kill them off, just to quickly get of my case. Typical you, father.''


    But her words had different meaning, "Yes, father. What would you like to know?" She meekly inquired.


    The King did not take this to mind, and just questioned, "What did you want from the Shade scout in the first ce?"


    Princess Loptr bit her lower lip and seemed conflicted to say something. The King did not rush her, and just waited for her to say what was on her mind.


    At the end, Princess Loptr sighed and said, "I wanted to know the states of affairs of the Shade Stronghold." Her head was lowered.


    "And for what matter?" The King interrogated. Princess Loptr replied, "Father... you would not understand." She whispered under her breathe.


    The King nced at her briefly, then ultimately sighed. He then said, "Alright. But I forbid you to share any of our information with that person in that ce. Am I clear?"


    "Yes... father." She meekly nodded her head, then left as soon as possible. The King watched her run off and sighed to himself, ''Thisss... would she one day be the source of my downfall?'' And had such a thought.


    But he immediately extinguished that thought, and turned his gaze down on the duo before him. "You two, exin yourselves, what happened?"


    "Your, your majesty¨C"


    "Don''t stutter."


    The guard paused to catche his breathe then began, "...Your Majesty, we were standing guard as ordered, at every minute. And it was so, until the princess appeared, and seeked entry from us. We, we thought it would not be a problem, and allowed her entry."


    "But as her highness entered, she realized that the patient was gone. We do not understand how, or what had transpired, but, but... your majesty, please spare us." The first guard began crying while begging.


    "Please spare me." The second guard also added, crying as well.


    The King gazed down upon the duo, and sighed to himself. ''Was that fellow a ss courier? It makes sense. Was he an Assasin? If yes, that exins the stealthly escape.''


    ''But why would he want to escape from us? Is there something we are missing? Or is there something wrong with the letter itself? Or was he just afraid of death? I have to get to the bottom of this.'' He thought.


    He then added, "You''re spared, but shall be demoted to doingbor for two years from now on. Any problems, fes?" The King questioned.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "None my lord!!" Both men responded at the same time, with might and fervor. Labor was hundreds of times better than just dying, and leaving behind their families.


    "But before that, how king was the princess in, before she alerted you?" He asked, a hint if suspicion within his eyes. The guards paused, then the first responded.


    "Not even a minute had gone by." He said, and the king ultimately nodded. The suspicion in his eyes dying down, yet a bit was still hidden his thoughts.


    "Then you''re dismissed." The King left after releasing such words. Once gone, the duo finally stood up, and hugged each other in joy, bursting into tears once again.


    The fear of death was still there.


    Meanwhile, Princess Loptr was not aware of the Fates she had caused, and tainted. Her thoughts were upied, ''So far, so good. Hopefully a little bit of help arrives to help my beloved in time. I hope you stay safe, my love.''


    She thought, and retreated back all the way towards the inn, where she would finish her weekend stay before going back home.


    ~~~


    Meanwhile, Shade City Stronghold


    City Lord''s Mansion, Adonis'' Mansion


    Adonis had just finished his matters of the day, and left the study. He walked towards his room and on the way, met a young maid that had been working here for weeks now.


    She was cute, and still in her early teenage years, she had a bountiful figure that would challenge evente teens. She was also beautiful, and would look more so with a smile.


    Adonis thought, and smiled at her. "Good work dear, keep up the good work." His smile was amiable and gentle, making the young expressionless maiden to blush and lower her head.


    But as she did so, her eyes observed the young man''s actions, and from there she was like his shadow. Following silently behind him, and moving in between darkness and light.


    Adonis was not aware of this all this while, and casually walked towards his room. The two guards standing watch bowed respectfully at him, and then continued doing their job.


    Adonis greeted them with a smile and walked into his room. He was now used to his father''s extra protective measures, and treated his two personal guards as just decorations.


    Once within his room, he changed outfits and went to bathe himself. After that, he wore a night gown and went to his bed.


    But right at this moment, ck smoke escaped out under his bed, and clouded the room. Adonis saw this and retreated, trying to call out to his guards, but his mouth was easily covered.


    Then a cold feel entered his body, while bone-chilling words infiltrated his ears, "One sound from you, and everyone within this mansion dies. Is that clear?"


    The words were like a whisper from death itself, and Adonis was strongly affected. His heart skipped a beat, and he was believing that his life was over.


    If he were to die, or he was used as a negotiating chip against his father, his life would be over regardless. He sighed, and dreaded his future, tears gathering at the corner of his eyes.


    "Crying? Seriously?" The man behind him said in disbelief, then pushed Adonis forward. He then materialized a chair out of nothing, and sat down upon it. "I''m guessing you expect an introduction or something?"


    "...ye-yes, sir." Adonis replied, while nodding his head like a chicken pecking at its food. The man before him with an empty gray Mask found it funny and chuckled to himself.


    "How cute. Alright then, boy. My code name is Sixth, I am the number sixth ranked amongst all the children of the Gray House." He introduced himself.


    "..."


    And Adonis froze, and felt his heart beat freeze as well. The Gray House. The messengers of death. The absolute killers. One of their high ranked members was standing before him?


    The young man dreaded his fate. He was going to die so young, he thought, sumbing to the fact that even if he screamed, nobody could save his life.

 Chapter 47 Flame Forger

    ?"Stop trembling brat. I''m not here for you life, it aren''t worth much. Even with that ss of yours, it pertains to nothing before us." Six said and scoffed at Adonis.


    "You, you''re not?" Adonis verified, his heart on the verge of copsing in fright or in relief. Six stared at him and kept quiet for a moment, not immediately answering.


    Adonis felt like he was on a death sentence and his breathing began raggered. He was about to feint, as his vision became blurry as well. The suspense was too much.


    But luckily, before then, a cold voice rang out within the shadows, and made Adonis slightly calm down. "We are not. Senior Six, please treat yourself with respect, if you want to be respected."


    But that was only for a moment. Secondster, he trembled in fright as someone was within his room, and he had no idea about it. He now wondered how long these two have been here.


    "...You like this guy, little Nine?" Six frowned, and a reply came from within the shadows as fast as lightning, "No." Just a single word, yet had a lot of meanings.


    "Well that''s better." Six said, and sighed in clear relief, like a father finding out that his teenage daughter was not pregnant. Then he whispered, "Lest I would have killed him."


    "..."


    "..."


    Adonis and the person within the shadows had Hidden sses, and superior senses, hence they easily heard Six''s whisper. Adonis froze, and Ninth kept quiet.


    "Enough about this. Kid, the Gray House wants to support you from the shadows. What do you say?" Six crossed his legs within the dark room and inquired.


    Adonis frowned and subconsciously questioned, "For what reason would such a high rated organizations choose me?"


    He knew about Earth''s history stories, and how they were kings who were pawns and the likes. He thought this scenario was one such scenario.


    "...In fact, we are not asking you, we are telling you. It''s either you take it, or we choose another one of you siblings. Your choice." Six disregarded Adonis'' words and responded.


    "..."


    Adonis also kept quiet and thought about it, and ultimately came to agree that choosing them was better than going against them. ''Plus, with my Hidden ss, in the near future, I might ovee these guys and regain my freedom.''


    He thought and agreed to Six''s words. Within the shadows, Little Ninth sighed in relief and vanished. Six nodded with a smile and said, "Wee to the Gray House, kid. You''re sure up for... a pleasant surprise."


    "..."


    ~~~


    Unknown Region.


    Within a small vige Hidden within a deep valley, Falsari. A little over a thousand beings were happily moving here and there, enjoying themselves under the zing hot sun.


    They had thin, lean physiques, and were quite tall. Their skin was close to being pale, and their hair was ming red, with simr colored eyes.


    They were a race of forgers, the falsarians, or inymen terms, the forgemasters.


    They were not a lot of them, and were not like the other races. In fact, they easily mixed in with others, and promoted sociability with other races. Unfortunately, within this world, nobody understood them.


    In Damien''s previous timeline, such mentality was the reason of their downfall.


    They easily epted friendship with the High Elves, and the other top six major races of this world. But at the end, those races forcefully conquered them and shared them amongst each other as ves.


    They worked for their dear lives, and were mostly mistreated unless they could create godly artifacts.


    At that time, he and his friend had gone out to explore Hell with the other races, and were not aware of this. Especially as time flowed differently here, and in Hell.


    The few days they spent in Hell, was months here. And by the time they returned, their race was almost extinct, and humanity was to follow on the list.


    For the humans had 30% of this race within their circle, and they refused to give in. Hence they were attacked. Of course, there were six other reasons why humanity was attacked back then.


    Each major race had their own goal and belief when theyid their attack. And future Damien, future Juliette, an the other Heroes of humanity were not there to do a thing about it.


    But now... Damien would pave a different road that would lead to a different future for everyone. Even if he had to go against the world all by himself.


    "..."


    A cloaked man sat within one of the bars of this small vige, and casually drank a mug of ale, while listening to the residents of this vige talk amongst themselves.


    "Little Flint has forged yet another rare treasure. That brat sure is amazing." One of them spoke, and the other followed, "Yeah. He truly is the sessor of the me Forger."


    "I know, right? Their techniques are up there. And if given high ranked resources, they could do miracles and wonders!!" They continued.


    "I think you''re right."


    "Right..."


    They continued with their conversation, and the cloaked individual just sat there all the while, drinking his ale without a care in the world.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    This went on for a few more minutes until one of the falsarians within the bar moved closer to him and nudged him, "Hey buddy, are you also here for ''that''?"


    His voice was not low, and the moment he spoke, every other individual kept quiet and focused on the cloaked individual.


    The person in target slowly raised his mug to his lips, and drank the whole mug empty. Then heavily smashed it onto the table. "Yeah. How much would it cost?"


    The falsarian was excited, and so were the others. He then rubbed his hands excitedly and asked, "Which range? Mild? Hot? Or spicy?"


    The cloaked individual thought about it and answered, "Spicy. Make it extra spicy at that. There''ll be a lot of damage."


    "Alright, alright big guy." The falsarian continued to rub his hands together and asked once again, "Form of payment, friend? It has to be known, spicy is quite expansive as it affects all of us."


    The cloaked individual nodded and casually replied, "I know. And I''ll pay you after... but on second thoughts, will this suffice?" He took out a portion of a crystallized heart.


    "..."


    "..."


    That alone shut every other falsarian within the bar, and they stared at the crystallized heart in shock. They were speechless, as something like this was rare.


    A dragon''s heart!!


    Well, a quarter portion of it, but a dragon heart nheless. Using this on an artifact, might make it nigh-godly, and also raise the forging proficiency of any forger.


    "Friend, friend... are you serious about this?" The falsarian asked once again to verify, but his hands had already held onto the fragmented dragon''s heart.


    The cloaked individual nodded and said, "It''ll be the spiciest deal you''ve ever made. Believe that." He then stood up and added, "After all, this would be a battle amongst gods."


    Hisst words made the falsarians stern as they gazed up at Damien, who nodded back left. The falsarian then added, "Give us a day. Tomorrow at eight in the morning, you can begin."


    "..."


    The cloaked individual did not say anything, and just waved his hand in agreement. The falsarians remaining there, then fought over the rare treasure and then the one that striked up the conversation won.


    Time moved on, and the next day arrived. Even as the World advanced to a Realm, the time was no different to its residents, as a day here, was still just a day.


    24 hours.


    The next day, within the central most forge ground, a young man within his forge room was busy at work, hammering down at a piece of red, zing metal.


    The fire around the metal also refined and purified the metal, making it of a higher quality and purer origin, then hammering down on the metal alongside the hammer.


    This allowed the metal to undergo absolute refinement, under the hands of four different sources.


    "..."


    The young man kept banging and banging, and banging without stop. He was sweating buckets, as the mes within this room were towering over a thousand degrees.


    At this point, no ordinary mortal could survive this. And it was obvious that the forging technique used here, was not something mere mortals could understand.


    It was godly.


    It was divine.


    And it was... unique.


    The young man had no such thoughts though. To him, this was normal. To him, he was not at the required level of being a "me Forger" yet.


    He was still a newbie.


    Kang~


    The hammer fell upon the piece of metal once again, the fire also went through its three rounds of refinement, and attacked the metal at the same time.


    But he was not aware of that.


    Kang~


    The hammer fell upon the piece of metal once again, and the mes zed out in fury, attacking the metal inside out, and trying to change its shape.


    But he ignored that.


    Kang~

 Chapter 48 The Boy That Cried "STOP!!" I

    ?Kang~


    The hammer fell upon the piece of metal once again, and this time, the young man felt like his entire being melded together with the hammer. He fell like he was falling with the hammer.


    He had, be the hammer.


    Kang~


    They, the hammer and the young man, fell upon the metal once again, and this time, they melded into the three states of the mes, entering a cycle of refinement, purification and self forging.


    He had be one with the mes.


    Kang~


    They fell upon the metal piece, and it exploded out into star-like sparks that lit up the entire room, making everything seem Heavenly. But they disregarded that.


    They then incorporated themselves into the metal, and underwent refinement, purification and self forging together.


    They all became one.


    Kang~


    They all became the hammer. Hammering down on themselves.


    Kang~


    They all became the me, refining themselves within the extreme heat.


    Kang~


    They all became the metal piece, and then embodied the final product.


    Kang~


    They finally... became the product. And at that very moment, they exploded out into zing orange-red mes that lit up the room.


    Bang!!


    And the final product was born. A red zing orb that cried out of divinity and power, being a half failed, half seeded godly artifact.


    "Whoo~ Another failure, huh." The young man thought, as the mes burning all over his body died out, and his synchrony with the hammer fell apart.


    He threw the finished product within another pile of simrly forged products, that numbered in the tens. Some were red, some were blue, some were purple etc.


    But none wereplete.


    The young man took a piece of cloth besides his door and wiped his hands, then used another one to wipe the sweat off his face.


    But overall, he was still dirty and sweaty.


    He then left the forge room to catch some air. The day had just begun, and he still had a lot of time in his hands. So resting was necessary.


    Once outside, he saw a cloaked individual moving towards his direction and he put an amiable smile on his face. The streets were awfully quiet, yet he ignored that.


    He greeted, "Good morning sir, long journey right? Is there something that I can help¨C"


    But while he was greeting with a smile, and a polite gesture, the cloaked man disappeared, and abruptly appeared before him.


    Then a wind piecing fist abruptly came out of nowhere and smashed heavily on the left side of his cheeks, cutting short his greeting.


    Bang!!


    The fist sent him flying like a canon ball and smashing onto a house nearby, toppling it down to nothing but rumbles, while his figure flew out of the rumbles and smashed into the next few following houses.


    "..."


    *** Flint Falsar ***


    My name is Flint. Just Flint. But if you will, you can call me Flint Falsar. Everybody here was a Falsarian, a Falsar, a resident of Falsari.


    We are a small tribe of less than ten thousand individuals. And if we are correct, we are the only tribe throughout the whole world.


    Thus there is only us, within this vast world. And that is why we treat everyone and everything withpassion, for our race might go extinct any other day.


    But that is irrelevant today.


    "..."


    Haaah~


    I sighed to myself, in disappointment at that. I had a feeling that something was wrong, yet I still went on and pretended otherwise.


    I mean, the shady cloak, the hidden appearance, the gray mask, all these spelled out ''dangerous'', and yet I acted as if he was my friend.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Aiy~


    I helped myself up and dusted off the dust and dirt of myself. I did not feel much pain, nor did I suffer damage from that. But not that I would like to experience it everyday.


    I took a deep breathe and cleared out my thoughts. Let''s just hope he''s not another foe. I am tired of killing these guys already.


    "...Sir, there might be a mistake. Am I the person you''re looking for?" I smiled my usual smile, and tried to brush this off as a wrong encounter. I have done this often.


    But the cloaked individual ignored me altogether, and kept walking towards me with steady, rxed steps. He was not bothered by my words whatsoever.


    "..."


    I was speechless and slowly retreated with every step he took. The closer he got, the more I would be forced to fight. And honestly, I am not a fan of¨C


    The man vanished out of sight out of the blue, and my senses rmed me of danger. Of course, it was not to the point of life threatening, but I''d be displeased regardless.


    I heightened my senses and was ready to receive an attack from any direction.


    And indeed, an attack dide. One that was fast and quite powerful at that, and it wasing from... besides me!!


    I hurriedly reacted and ced my hands before the left side of my face, and braced myself for impact.


    Bang!!


    The fist struck and the collision was loud, like thunder roaring within the clouds. The force of the collision was not great. At least, not great enough to push me back.


    "Sir, please, we don''t have to do this." I tried once again, only to be met with a thunderous punch that went straight for my face.


    Oi, what''s wrong with my face?


    Why is he targeting only it?!


    I hurriedly lowered my center of gravity and avoided the fist, but it was clear that I made a great, grave mistake.


    For when I bent low to avoid the fist, I was met by a knee strike that directly struck my nose, and sent me staggering two to three steps backwards.


    And within this fight, that was a bad move.


    "..."


    Before my senses could kick in, a powerful punch struck me right on my left cheek, followed by another that struck my face with clear and swift coordination.


    It was painful, slightly painful.


    I was struck left and right by this person, using high leveled martial arts that did not allow me to avoid his barrage at all. I even tried to fight back, but my hands were easily caught, and used to break my posture even more.


    While my legs were deflected to disrupt my bnce. Hence I got beaten ck and blue. But of course, I still suffered no damage even at this moment whatsoever.


    And I don''t remember how many punches I''ve received from then. All I remember is being beaten one-sidedly by this strange being.


    Worst of all, my strength, speed and endurance were directly around his level. Yet I was being yed around with, like a toy. It was infuriating.


    Then I was finally met with a powerful punch to my stomach, that resulted in me bending over due to reflex. Then from below, came a rising uppercut that sent me flying up.


    When I thought that was over, the cloaked man appeared above me and struck me down with yet another powerful blow.


    Boom!!


    My body struck the ground, and shattered it into cracks that spread all around me like a spider-web. And at this moment, I used every bit of my will power to regain control of my senses.


    I then hurriedly rolled aside, opening up space for the cloaked bring to smash an after image of my self as he fell. Shattering the ground even more.


    I then stood up, and he had also got up on his kneeling posture, already rushing towards my direction. I grit my teeth, and held my fists before myself and waited for him to push on closer to me.


    Once he was close by, I sent out a powerful punch at my full speed and strength, aiming directly at his jaw. This was a sure hit kill for sure!!


    But right then, the man held up his arm to cover his jaw, hence my fist striking his arm. He then packed up a punch and sent it towards my face once again.


    Again with the face...


    I hurriedly raised up my open palm to meet up his fist. With the same strength, I believed the force would cancel each other out.


    Unfortunately for me, I was never a fighter, physically wise. Hence I had misunderstood something. I was not sparring here, but fighting!!


    The man opened up his fist mid way and our palms met with "Pa~" sound, that resounded around us like a thunderp, then out of the blue, I felt his fingers lock into mine.


    It was so unexpected, I also felt my fingers lock into his subconsciously and instinctively. It was a bit romantic. But I was surprised and blurted out with shock, "Wha¨C"


    Unfortunately once again, I was cut off when the cloaked man suddenly pulled me closer to him, breaking more of my posture.


    And I was once again caught off guard, and with my senses, could see us getting closer and closer to each other.

 Chapter 49 The Boy That Cried "STOP!!" II

    ?''What, What is the meaning of this?! What is going on here?!'' My thoughts raced at super sonic speed, and I had many scenario shing through my mind.


    Yet that all came to an end when our heads met together at the center with a "bang!!", and then I felt like the world had split up in two. The pain was minimal, but the effects were absolute.


    "..."


    And before I could say nor do anything, I was pulled towards him once again and what met me this time was another knee strike on my stomach, forcing me to bend over once again.


    Then another rising uppercut, yet this time around I was not sent flying, because this man had been holding my hand all this while!!


    He then let go of my right hand, and held me by the other hand. I was surprised. Why did he change hands, and I realized the answer a bit too soon.


    He was nning on punching me with the other hand, the one that had been holding me all this while. And that n, came to fruition secondster.


    Bang!!


    I was heavily punched. Then he switched hands again, and did the same thing.


    Bang!!


    Bang!!


    I was yed around like this, and by the fouth punch, he let go of mepletely, and just threw punches out, left, right and center. And I helplessly took the beating.


    All I could see at that moment was fists flying to, and back from me... And I still felt no pain throughout the whole process, but I did feel my pride shatter.


    Bang!!


    The nexting punch delt more damage as I was sent flying back a few tens of meters. I then crashed on the ground, and slid across the surface forming a small gouge.


    "..."


    My vision slowly returned to normal, where I could see things clearly again. And my hearing as well. I could hear the man''s footsteps getting closer and closer to me.


    Meanwhile, I was still hesitating whether to take this man as real opponent or not. I felt no killing intent from him since the beginning.


    So maybe... maybe he really got the wrong guy. Yeah, that must be the case. Because, how else would he attack me without killing intent?


    He''s not sure of his target. Thats it.


    "..."


    As I had this thought, I was not aware of the golden glint that shed and receded within my eyes. Once my thoughts agreed on the matter, it never appeared.


    "You must be really naive." It was at this moment when I heard the man''s voice for the first time.


    "..."


    It was not that of an adult, yet not that of a kid either. Yet most importantly, it had charm, one that would be able to sweet talk most women.


    I thought, and then stood up to look at the man that stopped a few meters from me. He looked down on me, his gray mask saying a lot, even though I could not see his expressions.


    He was looking down on me.


    But more importantly, why was I naive?


    The man shook his head, more and more disappointed within his actions. He then said, "There''s a lot I want to tell you, but the most important one is that... I don''t need killing intent to end your life."


    "What?" I looked up at him in shock. I was but 18 years old, and never been exposed to the outside world. And maybe because of that, I failed to understand his words?


    "No. You''re just naive. Simple as that." He said, then turned his eyes towards the sides.


    I followed his gaze as well.


    There, I could see the greatly damaged houses all around us. It seems like though our battle looked like an ordinary street brawl to me, it was more than just that.


    Our strength was inhuman, and our speed super. We have covered the entire vige, and toppled down almost all the houses in just a couple of minutes.


    I used all my will power to try and not focus on the vige, then looked back at the masked man. "Naive? What makes me naive?" I questioned, furrowing my brows at him.


    The masked man looked at me, his cloak dancing along the wind. He then said, "You just are. Simple as that."


    I felt annoyed and irritated, but still politely asked, "Sir, what does that mean?" He looked at me, from my face down to my feet, then back to my face and added, "Simply what it means."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "..."


    I now felt really unnerved. This man, this man... it''s like I can just strangle him to death. Why does he act like this towards me?


    It''s as if... he knows me.


    He then added, "For starters, you''re not finding out the source of the problems, yet trying to find excuses to not fight for yourself."


    I did not understand.


    "You avoided the whole scenario where everyone in the vige is not here." He further exined, snd I retorted, "It''s obvious that they came to agree with you that they would pull back. They always do that. They always sell me out like this."


    "Indeed." He agreed, the added, "But if I knew that, what makes you think that I won''t kill them all off, just to make you think that they agreed to this?"


    Ah... that''s true. But then again, "You cannot silently kill off the entire vige. It''s impossible." I added with conviction.


    "You can manipte mes that can burn even gods." He said, and I was surprised he knew that. Then he further continued to say, "What makes you think there''s nothing special about me?"


    "..."


    True. I am not the center of attention, hence there is bound to be someone like me out there. Or even someone far greatly stronger than I am. I should have thought about it.


    "Now I shall ask you this... in that case, are you not naive?" The masked man repeated his question, yet this time, I was forced to answer it myself.


    I frowned, and even grit my teeth in what I thought was anger. If his words were true, then everyone I know, everyone I grew up with, everyone that raised me...


    Are dead?


    No. It''s impossible. It''s just a hypothesis.


    "There you go again with your constant avoidance of the truth." The man cut through my thoughts and casually said.


    This time, I looked up at him and questioned, anger apparent within my tone, "Then are you saying you really killed my entire n?"


    I asked. And the masked man paused for a moment. I did not let him speak as well, and continued, "You say I escape reality, yet here you are, not giving me enough information to verify what is true or what is not."


    To my words, he just shrugged his shoulders and spread his arms apart. Something I viewed as an attempt to make me focus on our soroundings.


    And I did so. I looked around us, and there was no one. No one but broken down houses, no one but rumbles and felled trees everywhere. No one even through my senses.


    "..."


    It was at this moment that it clicked to me. I didn''t need anyone to show me proof. Everything, was right before my eyes.


    The proof was always there.


    And even if I was not sure whether everyone was truly dead, or had done the usual selling me off... I still had to fight as if they truly are dead.


    After all...


    Whenever I fought with my current mentality, it showed that I did not care for them. Maybe that exins why they can so easily sell me off like this without a care.


    I... was the one who did not care about them first. I always thought they were safe, so I never thought about it this way. But who knows, maybe they were always watching.


    And whenever they did so...


    "You get it now?" The masked man asked, and I looked up at him with sullen eyes. I did not know how to feel. I felt disgusted at myself though. That I knew at least.


    "It was never about you, as an individual." He said, then walked towards me while adding, "It was about you guys, as a n. Maybe if you had showed care in the first ce, they would be fighting your battles alongside you."


    He said, moving ever so closely towards me, yet I listlessly looked down. His words did not stop there, however, "Who knows. Maybe if you had showed anger at the destructions your hunters caused, they would have supported you."


    "..."


    He stopped a few centimeters before me, our heights the same as he spoke, his tone lower than usual, "Who knows. Maybe if you stay the same as you are, you might never see that little girl ever again."


    Ba-dump~


    My heart suddenly hit itsst beat, as my breathe stopped. I would never see her again? I might never see everyone again? I might... really lose them?


    My mind was suddenly swallowed by memories that I tried so deeply to hide. Memories of a time when I was still young, and when I used to live with my grandfather.

 Chapter 50 The Boy That Cried "STOP!!" III

    ?It was one of the days when I used to live by the woods. Grandfather was out, and should being back at anytime right about now. He usually does.


    And indeed, he appeared. He ced down the logs that he cut off from his work, and walked unto me to pick me up, and cradled me on his arms.


    "Aww~ is my willy lilly baby hungy? Is he hungy?" He nudged me with nose yfully, and Iughed at his antiques. I was but two to three years old at that time, yet he treated me like a baby as usual.


    Grandfather loved me dearly, and I was sure about that.


    He then put me down and began making something for me to eat. In the meanwhile, I yed at the living room, and threw the small splinters from the wood into the chimney fire.


    I was always mesmerized by the mes. It always felt like they were calling out to me, and seeking my affection.


    Yet I never understood that feeling.


    And while I was busy doing that, I felt a ruckus within the kitchen, then saw grandfather rushing towards me with fear written all over his face.


    He held me for his dear life, and hurriedly hid me behind a decoration within the living room, where it made it hard for me to be seen from multiple angles.


    My heart beat raced, and I did my best to keep quiet. I wanted to ask where he was going, what he was going to do, or what was going on.


    Yet nothing left my mouth.


    I only watched as he hurried out of the hiding area, then heard him speak to a few people within the dining room.


    His tone was hurried and in panic, yet he never let out the fact that he was hiding something. That was so, until I heard dull sounds, ones that I thought were the result of fighting.


    Thenter, I head more and more dull sounds, like a group of men stomping down on the ground with might and fervor.


    It even caused the house to tremble.


    I silently cried, as I did not want to believe what was going on. I thus cried, and prayed, prayed with all my might that they stop.


    "Stop..."


    I prayed to any gods that were listening.


    "Please stop..."


    I prayed to anyone kind enough to listen to a little boy''s desperate cry.


    "Please... stop... stop..."


    I prayed to things that I did not even know existed. I prayed. And prayed. And prayed. Until I seeked help from the mes that I grew ustomed to.


    I didn''t even understand why, but it felt like the mes were calling out to me. It felt like they heard my desperation.


    "...Please, save my grandpa... please, stop them..." I did not even hear myself at that time, but I prayed. And by a stroke of luck, my prayers were answered.


    The room suddenly caught fire. It was unexpected, and I myself did not see how it happened.


    I did not know how, or why, but fire began to burn everything, and quickly spread to cover everyone within the dining room.


    Screams of pain and suffering could be felt from within their souls, as they cried and begged for mercy, but all I did was pray.


    And as I prayed, they burned even more.


    But it was at this moment that my heart fell apart. I heard the heart wrenching scream of someone I wanted to save instead. My grandfather.


    "Aaaaahhhh!!! Aaaaarrgghhh!!!" He cried out in pain as mes burned the entire room.


    I hurriedly rushed out of the hiding ce and there, saw mes so red, they were redder than blood itself, burning everything within my sight to cinders.


    The people burned, and the only thing that I could see, where ck humanoid shadows cloaked in mes. And it seemed like the mes were eating at their souls.


    But I ignored that, and watched the single figure that I presumed belonged to my grandfather. He was also burning in pain and agony.


    Tears welled up within my eyes as I cried. Stop. I silently cried, yet the mes got bigger. Stop. I thought, yet to no avail.


    Stop. I murmured, but nothing changed. But I did not give up. I continously cried. Stop. Stop. Stop stop stop stop.


    And even to this day, I still cry. Stop. I am forever haunted. Stop. Nothing ever changes. Stop.


    For I shall forever be the cause of¨C


    "STOOOOP!!!"


    BOOOM!!!<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The memory Fragments shattered alongside the explosion that burst out of my body, kicking up mes everywhere around me.


    A pir of red mes erupted out of my head, in the form of an endless rising waterfall of hair. In the meantime, I held my head and fell down on my knees, seemingly in mental pain and agony.


    But the masked man besides me did not mind that. He just stood there, his cloak dancing along the strong winds kicked up by my powerfully erupting mes, and his armor protecting him from the intense heat.


    He then said, "That''s your problem. You let yourself burn to feed the me of its power, instead of burning the me, to feed yourself with its power."


    I immediately disagreed in irritation, "Burn the mes?! How do I even do that?!" I roared at him. "You just don''t understand. So stop talking. Stop. Stop. Stop!!"


    The masked man did not seem to hear me at all, and instead continued his words. "You''re letting the mes control you, instead of controlling the mes yourself."


    "I said shut up!! Stop talking!!" I roared at him in anger and agony, the mes around me kicking up in intensity. Yet the man did not keep quiet at all, whatsoever.


    "You are being controlled by fear. Just face it. What''s the worst that could happen?" He said, and I felt my teeth shatter due to how angry I was at his words.


    "What''s the worst that could happen? What''s the worst that could happen?! I could kill you!! I could burn everything to cinders!! I could be the cause of everyone''s death... again." My voice got lower at the end.


    Pain could be felt within, enough for anyone to sympathize with me. Yet what was standing before me... I doubted was an ordinary man.


    The man waspletely unphased. And this time he also seemed annoyed with me, and just blurted out a single statement. "Let it burn." He coldly said.


    "What?" I looked up at him in shock.


    "Let the mes burn." He repeated.


    "No. No!! I can''t can''t do that!! Why don''t you just understand?!" I roared at him, my eyes shing a golden glint of light, but his words were still the same. "Let it burn."


    "Why you¨C"


    "Let it burn." He repeated.


    "You will¨C"


    "I''m not afraid of you." He finally changed his words, and I was surprised once again. The mes around me lowered in intensity. "What?" I questioned.


    "I do not fear those mes. If you''re so much afraid of them, let them burn, and I''ll put them out." He further exined, and I onlyughed out loud at him.


    "Fucker!!" Then I cussed. For once, I was so angry I cussed. "You don''t understand. Nobody can put out these mes. They only leave once they are satisfied with burning everything else!!"


    "And I''m not afraid of them." He said. I retorted in anger and frustration, "Dammit!! Why don''t you understand? I am telling you that I cannot do that!!"


    "Why? Are you afraid to kill your loved ones?" He asked, and I denied it. "No."


    "Are you afraid of being a murderer?" He pursued, and I denied once again. "No."


    "Can''t bare to kill another loved one?" He incited, yet despite knowing that, I was getting angry by the minute. "Stop. Stop talking right this instant!!"


    He was mocking me.


    "Afraid to experience absolute helplessness once again?"


    "I said stop!!"


    "Are you really that useless?"


    "Stop it already. I''m warning you!!" The mes around me spread to cover my body, and my eyes took apletely red shade with a golden glint, including my sclera.


    "...Alright. I should really stop, Lest I be your next innocent victim." He added, and this time, my strings of rationality and sanity snapped as I roared out at him.


    "I said, STOP!!!"


    BOOOM!!


    Another explosion burst out of my body, as the mes spread all over my body, causing my skin to crack up, and releasing extreme vapor from within.


    I was cloaked in both fire and vapor, red eyes glowing from within, making me resemble a Doomsday Apostle, or a Devil, than a normal Falsarian.


    This was clearly not me.


    I felt my consciousness leave my body.


    The thing in control of my body lowered its upper body, like a beast ready to pounce on its target. Then after that, mes burst out under its heels, propelling us forward at faster speeds.


    We were faster than before, hence faster than the masked man. Yet he had managed to hurriedly use his arms to protect his face from the instantaneous knee strike it tried.

 Chapter 51 The Falsars

    ?"Hmph!!" He then scoffed at us and used his strength to push us back.


    The thing in control did a flip mid air andnded down with my left hand, bursting out mes under my palm to propel us up, then releasing more from my heels to propel us down towards the masked man.


    It pounced on him from above, and ended up colliding into the him. But he was quite experienced, as he used the force of our momentum when we pushed him down, to roll backwards and throw us away, using both hands and legs to push us.


    He was unscathed, and my body was thrown using our own momentum against us, to crash heavily onto another building nearby.


    The thing then stood up and pushed itself off the ground using mes once again, and flew towards the masked man.


    They collided once again, and we were pushed back likest time. But this time, it paused and rushed in for closebat, fist to fist techniques.


    I knew close to nothing about this, hence I worried on whether I would receive yet another beating. Luckily, the thing in control of my body used instincts to actually try and match the masked man''s martial arts.


    They exchanged blows, and throughout the process, out of ten hits, we would block three to four, while to him, we would strike up one to two punches.


    And what surprised me the most was that, this thing was adapting to the battle. It ended up using its pyrokic beast-likebat form to actually try and match up with the masked man''s tempo.


    And it was seeding!!


    The fist to fist fight went on for a while longer, until the thing attempted a palm strike on the masked man''s chest. It seeded, then tried to propel him away using its explosive mes.


    But he hurriedly smacked my hand away, causing the explosive mes to push at nothing but air, sending both of us, him and I, flying backwards respectively.


    The thing then stood up once again. We still, felt no pain even now.


    It then gathered vast amounts of mes within it legs, causing them to turn a shade of golden-yellow, as ifva within the world''s core was being forcefully manifested.


    Boom!!


    Then with such a thunderous sound, it burst off towards the masked man at speeds ten times faster than before. But the masked man also charged towards us, though slower.


    A zing fiery sh of light, and a blurry ck light went up to meet at the center. But right as we were about to collide, a club appeared within the man''s hands, and his muscles suddenly exploded out in strength.


    ...!!!


    He avoided our super charge with speed matching ours, and cught off guard, we failed to avoid the club that came at simr speeds, and greater strengths than us.


    Boom!!


    The sound barrier was shattered when the club smashed into our body, sending us flying backwards at speeds that traversed thousands of miles in a second.


    By the time we crashed into something, we were tens of thousands of miles away, and probable far away from the vige.


    The vapor around my body died down, and the cracks healed up as well. My hair returned back to normal hair, instead of a pir of mes, and I was once again... in control.


    And once I came to my senses, I realized that I was forcefully imnted within the nearby small mountain, and would find it hard to move down.


    But worst of all, I was slowly losing consciousness. Was I dying? Was this the end of my life? Of Flint Falsar?


    My thoughts drifted to darkness at that thoughts. But I was still curious. Who was that man? Was everyone still alive? Is that little rascal safe? What about Fou?


    A lot of questions... yet little time.


    *** Narrative ***


    Within a small, newly built hut, a young man with a head full of red hair, and covered partially in soft material that resembled bandagesy.


    Hey on a soft emergency bed, made up of soft hay, thick strange leaves, and magical beast fur, making it soft and full of Mana for its patients.


    Of course, the Mana was minimal.


    "Mhm~" The young man let out a moan of pain as his brows furrowed. Then he suddenly became restless, and trembled from time to time, as if having a nightmare.


    His eye brows were furrowed even deeper, causing ck lines to appear on his forehead. He then grit his teeth, and clenched his fists tightly.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    But he did let out another word, and just silently bared with everything he was suffering. He took the mental pain until a few minutester, when he slowly rxed his brows.


    A few secondster, he waspletely calm. Even his breathing was normal, as if everything was alright.


    "..."


    "..."


    The little less than ten people within the hut remained silent and speechless as they saw that. They were surprised, and wondered what the boy was going through.


    The masked man was amongst them. "And that folks, is what the boy goes through every once in a while." He said, sitting opposite over almost ten Falsarians.


    They were the closest people to Flint, and part guardians of this ce.


    The first was an old man that was short, and had a stooped posture. He had long red beard, and a bold head, while holding a brown walking stick helping him stand.


    He was called Fez Falsar. The founder of this whole vige, or rather, their ancestor.


    "This... is problematic. And the rascal himself kept quiet about it. Tsk, How unfilial." Fez said with a sigh, and apparent disappointment within his tone.


    The second was a middle-aged man that stood tall, and had broad shoulders. He had a nicely trimmed goatee, and was quite handsome. His gaze was sharp and stern.


    He was called Fa''ar Falsar. He, who manages this ce, and assigns duties for others.


    "It seems his fate is unlike that of us, and the other falsarians. He is an umon fate holder like his master, the me Forger." Fa''ar said sternly, with a frown.


    The third was a woman who stood besides the middle-aged man, Fa''ar. She was quite tall and had long legs. Her hair was made into dreadlocks, and she had a maternal and sweet smile on her face.


    She was called Frey Falsar. The caretaker of the whole vige, and the one who nursed Flint.


    "I honestly feel bad for him. Especially so, as I was responsible for everyone''s health... Maybe I should also check mental health from now on." She said, feeling bad about the whole situation.


    The fouth was a young woman in herte teens. She was quite beautiful, and resembled Frey. She had a nice figure, one that could temp men and god alike.


    She was called Fou Falsar. She was responsible for the crops, farms, cattles etc.


    "Mother, it is none of your fault. Flint brought this upon himself by not telling you, nor anybody, especially myself, about his problems. Me, out of all people." Fouforted her mother, yet seemed to want to beforted as well.


    The fifth was a small girl in her early teens. She was also beautiful, the most beautiful amongst all of them here. She had a mixture of gold within her hair, but it was barely that much.


    She was Fin Falsar. The mascot of the whole vige, and adopted little sister of Flint, taken cared of by Fou.


    The little girl red daggers at the masked man before herself, and said grudgingly. "Me hate you. Me never forgive you. You, you, you meanie!!" She said.


    "Fin, respect your elders." Fou moved from her mother andforted the little girl. She scoffed at the masked man, instead of apologizing. But she still gave Fou enough respect to not say anything else.


    The sixth would be Flint himself. A young man in histe teens, and one quite handsome. He had a perfect physique, and red hair redder than everybody else''s.


    He was the number one cksmith and forger of the vige, where even its current expansion was drawn by him and such. He was also the strongest.


    "..."


    The seventh used to be his teacher, Feras Falsar, the me Forger. All seven of them were the highest authority of the vige. But he was now reced by another young man.


    He was Fuhr Falsar. Also the same man who organized everything, the people retreating, and the battle. He was also the winner of the portion of the dragon''s heart.


    "I have to say, if he wakes up and speaks, then there''ll be no battles to organize... That''s wasted treasures." He murmured, but everyone red daggers at him.


    "Hehe." He sheepishlyughed and added, "He always receives 50% of the rewards anyway. Plus, I had his permission to do this." He defended.


    But at this point, nobody was focused on him anymore. They all turned to look at a single person, who did not belong here.


    The masked man, who also happened to be Damien, sat one leg over the other, and appraised each of these people. His posture that of confidence.

 Chapter 52 Laws, Principles And Rules

    ?He radiated might and valiance that shocked everyone, as if a god of war was standing right before them.


    It took a while longer for the six to snap out of their shock, and the first to speak was the middle-aged man, Fa''ar. "And so, how did you know about all of this?"


    He questioned, his gaze bing that of a predator. But Damien was unphased, and even spoke back. "I know a lot more. Like for starters, most of you here will die soon."


    "What was that?" Fa''ar frowned, and clenched his fists. mes burst from his eyes, but he did not attack, and ended up calming himself down. "Are you cursing our fate?"


    He asked, as he could feel the fate of the Falsarians dim greatly at those words. But Damien innocently shook his head and said, "Not at all. I have better things to do, than do that."


    His words offended the group before him, but he continued, "I am only just warning you. As demigods, you should all be aware of your power. Especially you, the grown ups."


    "And you." He pointed at Fa''ar. "You are this entire race''s demigod of fate. You should now be aware of your Fate. As for why you were not aware moments ago... was because you were just incapable of doing so."


    "..."


    Damien''s words affected Fa''ar, but he kept quiet and listened. He had no choice but to.


    Damien said, "The one nning the downfall of your race is a god. A vampire god, that has also dabbled a bit into fate. And his special abilities greatly affects your influence on fate."


    "Do you understand now?" Damien questioned, but Frey responded with a question of her own. "Why should we believe you?" She asked, sternly at that.


    "You just have to." Damien responded, then stood up. "Fate is usually predetermined and absolute. It is notmon to distort it. But fate-type gods can do that."


    He paused, then continued, "A mortal will never truly know their own fate. Let alone that of others." He said, "And you demigods, are but still mortals, with hint of divine blood in your veins."


    Hisst words were supported by his gaze that fell upon Fez, the ancestor of this race. But he did not say anything about him, and just continued with his lesson.


    "All beings are bound by fate. Including gods. Let alone half gods. It is a power that goes even beyond gods. Something that even if you transcend mortality, would still be affected by it."


    "It''s like ying on someone''s palm. Or being a puppet in the hands of a puppeteer, yet not knowing that he controls your every movement to his will. It''s frightening, I know." He said, watching as they frowned, including Fa''ar.


    Damien continued, "Fate is a Universal Principle. And a Principle can only be used and strengthened, yet cannot be changed or eliminated. It is a necessary derivative for creation, for life, for existence, and for progress to take ce."


    "It''s like this; mes can be snuffed, frost can melt, time could be reversed or elerated, space could be distorted etc. Each of these were universal truths that could be changed, yet not theirw counterparts."


    "And the lowest level of Fate, was a Principle above Laws. Thus to summarize, you¨C" He pointed at Fa''ar, and concluded, "¨Care not controlling Fate, but just dabbling in it. You don''t even know what Fate truly means. Am I wrong?"


    "..."


    The group kept quiet and listened to him. They knew pretty much that. It was obvious enough for anyone that was a god, even some powerful mortals.


    "But that''s not all there is to it. Unique Abilities are another path, as it can also do that. They are, after all, the umtion of more than a few Universal Rules, and the Rules of Reality are above Principles. Not even gods can easily go against them."


    He added after their momentary silence. The others kept quiet and thought up on his words. They joined The Primordial Source as well, snd obtained Divine sses.


    They also knew about Unique Abilities, as they had more than one from their trials. And as demigods, had a few more of their Innate powers ssified as Unique.


    Hence they could believe that.


    As for what Damien was saying; it meant that even a god who ruled over the Universal Principle of Fate for their race, they would lose in terms of fate authority against someone who had a fate-type Unique Ability.


    Of course, the higher leveled the god, the stronger their control over universalws, and the more they can overpower even Unique Abilities.


    But for a demigod, who had yet to even obtain the ranks of godhood, and was 50% or less godly, was very weak against Unique Abilities that delt with theirws.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Fa''ar was one such being.


    "...So you mean there''s vampires after our vige now?" He asked, and Damien did not hesitate to reply, "Not necessarily so. Only a single vampire is after you... and not just you, but a certain someone."


    His eyesnded on the little girl that had been scowling at him all this while. When his eyes fell upon her, she hurriedly hid behind Fou, and trembled.


    Meanwhile Fou also frowned at Damien''s words. "Are you saying they are after¨C"


    But before she could say any names, both Damien and Frey spoke at the same time, "No." Denying her words.


    Everyone, including the two of them were surprised. Fou was partly indignant though. But when Damien and Frey''s eyes met, they smiled. Well Frey did, and nobody could tell what Damien''s current expression was.


    But one thing was for sure. This man before them, Damien, was clearly not against them. That, they could be sure of for now.


    Then finally, after a moment of silence, Fuhr finally asked the question that everybody was yearning to know about. "So young master, who are you exactly? Surely, you can tell us that much, right?"


    The others also turned their eyes towards Damien and he nodded. He did not particrly want to hide his status in the first ce, he just did it for caution sake... or for fun.


    "That I can do." He said, and raised his hand to remove the mask from his face. Everyone was surprised. They did not expect him to easily agree, let alone reveal his face.


    They were both expectant and nervous to fond out about his identity. The identity of someone who knows so much. The identity of the one who could defeat their strongest.


    The identity of a mysterious person!!


    Damien casually removed the mask on his face, and revealed a face that was quite handsome. If anything, he was even more handsome, if not as handsome as Flint.


    He had a head full of blonde hair, clear ocean blue eyes, a perfectplexion, and a face hovering between young and mature. He was also quite tall, which added more to his charm.


    "I am but a humble mortal. One with a destiny far brighter than all of you here. A human who will be the savior of his race, and those fated to be a part of us. And you guys..." He paused, and everyone held their breathe.


    They could already guess what the next sentence would be, but they were still looking forward to whether it would be it or not. And hearing it from him.


    "...are one of them." He concluded, a daring smile on his face, one that wouldter be a trademark of his. "As for my name. You can refer to me as Damien, the future messiah."


    ~~~


    Within apletely dark space, devoid of anything. Be it elements,ws, or existence, non of it was there. Not even non-existence was able to im to be here.


    It was a space devoid of everything.


    And within this space, one that no mind, be it god or men, couldprehend, a single soul spark flew here and there, seemingly like a drunk man.


    It floated with its thoughts taking over its will, ''What is going on? Why am I floating? Where am I? I don''t understand.'' It thought, floating like a shooting star.


    It''s speed was anything butprehensible, and was just purely fast. So fast it could transcend even the concept of speed itself, as not even gods could tell it was here with how fast it was floating.


    It floated until it met a bright orange light from away. It could not really tell clearly what that light was, but it could clearly see that there was something there.


    Thus it floated with all its might towards that direction. Within the way, it met many illusions that showed crazy scenes to it.


    One of the scenes was of a golden haired man, or rather, a golden haired monkey demihuman, who, still within this ce it was floating unhindered. Though, as an illusion.


    The illusion of the man stood with a single staff in his hands. Before him, was another being whose appearance the soul could not truly perceive.

 Chapter 53 Flame Demiurge

    ?The two stood side to side, and within an instant, appeared before each other, a staff and a fist meeting each other at center with might and power.


    No sound urred, but an illusive shock wave spread out, and shattered the unique space they found themselves fighting at.


    Then with inhuman speeds, they shed here and there, shattering more of the Void. In just an instant, there was no void to speak of, as it was long erased.


    The soul floated away from that scene, andter appeared before another one. This one was even more domineering, as two extremely handsome beings floated side by side.


    One had red hair, the male, and the other had purple hair, the female. They appeared before a circr construct, that had various colors shing over its exterior.


    The major colors being ck, red and purple. The man waved his hand, and from it, a powerful sanction force pulled at the construct before them with force.


    In less than a second, the construct that stretched to immeasurable heights for the soul, was devoured by the man that was so handsome, he defined divine masculinity.


    Momentster, the woman who was so beautiful she defined divine feminity, waved her hand and created a circr construct that was simr to that easily devoured one.


    She created everything, including the rules,ws and other concepts that the great construct was made up of. They then moved to another construct.


    ''...''


    The soul just floated by and appeared before yet another scene. One that was actually more domineering that all the scenes she just saw.


    Yes, more domineering that a duo that could destroy Chaos, and recreate it in their own image. More domineering that a duo that fought and shattered the Void.


    The reason being because this was a man who seemed to be writing Existence itself. Not just narrating it, or anything of the likes, but writing even the narrative itself.


    He had an uncountable number of books floating around him, each one being written by a different thought of his, which represented the narrative of the book.


    Each book representing an Existence that was something even the soul could not understand. This man was writing down the plot of many Existences, and then narrating them himself.


    It was frightening. Even the previous two illusions could be something written by this man. The soul thought as it moved all the way towards the bright light.


    And from within one of these written Existences, a single beauty within a golden city looked up at him. She was within a city that had an countless number of living beings, as it stretched forth Infinitismally.


    She looked up at it, bypassing the illusion that was probably billions of years old, and stared at it. Besides her, was a woman who represented Winter, and on her other side, a woman who represented Summer.


    While she herself, represented pure Wonder. She smiled at the little soul, and that smile, shook the little thing greatly. It was as if the woman saw through it, and knew it all.


    That was terrifying.


    By now, it was almost there, and could already see what was within the bright light.


    It was a small hammer.


    Once the small soul reached the bright light, the hammer also flew towards it, and fluently sank into its immaterial body.


    ''Oh...'' Before it could say anything, information appeared right before its eyes, seemingly like the information from The Primordial Source.


    [ me Demiurge (HIDDEN) ]


    [ Introduction: The Providence of one who will be the Sessor of the Red Demiurge, one of the Seven Elemental Dimensional Taboos, an entity that burns through everything, and can create anything through mes, and pave a road of mes and Destruction for themselves, leaving nothing but a trail of ste mes and chaotic blood wherever they go. To be the very Derivative of Fire, and the Essence of Destruction ]


    [ Potential: Unrivaled Potential that stretches to cover the whole of Existence, and possibly transcend all Restrictions, Rules and Mandates of Existence and shine over all that are below. To be the Sun that illuminates the whole of Existence, and shower it in boundless light ]


    [ ss Bonuses: +3 SP to STR, INT, WIS and END every level up, +8 Free SP every level up, +8 AP every level up, +700% Life Essence required to Level up, +400% to Mana every level up ]


    [ ss Skills: "Annihtory mes", "Ancient Anvil", "zing True Elemental", "Apollyon Domain", "Essence of Destruction" ]


    [ Comment: A ss that ultimately reigns Supreme above Existence and destroys all. The Aspect of Annihtion. Yet where there is Annihtion, there is Restoration. Where there is Destruction, there is... Creation ]


    The little soul read through everything, and before it could do, nor say anything, it was absorbed towards the hammer at great force. ''Wah¨C''.


    The soul cried out in shock, but the force was far greater than anything. Being greater than gravity, or the suction force of a ckhole, as it pulled it closer to the hammer.


    At the same time, above it, illusions of different majestic beings appeared. They numbered up to thirty six beings, and each one had their own different Visage, that made them stand out.


    They stared down at the little soul, and the soul itself could not see it.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    And amongst them, were the man that represented divine masculinity, the woman that represented divine feminity, the woman of Summer, the woman of Winter, the woman who defied the Author of Existence, the Author of Existence themself, the golden monkey demihuman, the shadowy figure that fought him, and many more.


    They all looked down with various colors cloaking their expressions. None saying anything. Nor doing anything.


    They just watched until the soul and the hammer met, and began fusing. Followed by a blinding light that cloaked the entire Void the soul was floating within.


    Then the illusions also slowly broke down one by one, leaving behind an empty void. Silence and tranquility returning.


    Or that was expected. But momentster, mes kicked up within this Void. mes so red, they were redder than blood itself.


    And within the mes, a set of words were uttered with somberness and sadness. "Child... you are still too young." It said, beforeter vanishing once again.


    Now leaving the Void in true peace.


    Within the small hut.


    Flint opened his eyes in silence, as the memories from his soul''s journey appeared within his mind.


    He was conflicted. He was happy. He was confused. And most importantly, he was finding it hard to understand whatever he went through.


    ''I''m still too young? What''s that supposed to mean?'' He thought, as the words of the entity within the mes somehow reached him, making him doubt a lot of things.


    ''And those mes...'' And not only did he hear it, but he also saw a wisp of the red mes. Now he was bing even more doubtful of everything presented to him.


    Who were his parents? What did they do to him? What were those illusions? What purpose did they y? And what was his fate?


    He thought and thought, but never came to a conclusion. The only way he could think of right now, that could help him, was that man with the gray mask.


    His feeling, and his mes told him that everything would be uncovered from that man. As for how, he did not know himself. But he at least agreed.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ You have equipped the <me Demiurge> Hidden ss as your Sub ss ]


    [ You have obtained the following ss Skills, "Annihtory mes", "Ancient Anvil", "zing True Elemental", "Apollyon Domain", "Essence of Destruction" ]


    [ Note: ss Skills have the same power to absolutely dominate those within the same Realm/Rank. The higher the grade of the ss, the more Realms/Ranks one can transcend. Can currently transcend and affect all mortals and mid ranked gods with your ss Skills ]


    Flint went through the information, and realized that it was the same as the previous ss. He brushed the information off, andid down on his back, facing up.


    It was like that, until aid back voice disrupted his happy ''morning''. "Rise and shrine, little me boy." The voice said, startling Flint so much, he immediately woke up.


    "Aaahhh!!!" He screamed and jump as further back away from the voice. The young man before him asked back in irritation and annoyance, "Are you done?"


    "..."


    Flint was forced to shut his mouth and keep quiet. He stated at the young man standing before him, and ultimately calmed down after a minute.


    "Who are you?" He asked.


    "Don''t remember me?" The young man asked, a sneer appearing on his face, "I gave you, and your inner demon the run on your gold."


    "Huh?"


    "I kicked your ass." The young man, Damien, responded with a sigh of disappointment.


    Realizing everything, Flint''s eyes widened and he stretched out his finger towards Damien, and shouted in slight anger and fear, "ITS YOU!!"


    "Yes, its me." Damien responded with a nod, his tone calm and unbothered. Flint then calmed down, yet still had a frown on his face. "Why... didn''t you kill me?"


    "Your life aren''t worth that much."


    "You killed my whole n though!!" He spoke through gritted teeth, the room temperature slowly climbing up. Damien nodded once again, "Yes, I did."

 Chapter 54 Revenge

    ?He lied.


    But Flint was unaware of that. He stared daggers at Damien and asked, his tone a bit low, "What do you mean by that?"


    "I want you to be the sole survivor of this n. I want you to suffer. I want you to nurture hatred within your heart. I want you to live by anger for the rest of your life." Damien said with utmost seriousness, and did not stop there.


    "Pain. Anger. Hatred. These are theponents required to bring about one''s potential to its limit. So don''t hold them back. Use them to your heart''s content and¨C"


    Flint, through unbridled rage, roared at Damien, cutting off his monologue, "I DONT WANT TO HEAR ANY OF THAT!! I WANT MY FAMILY BACK, NOW!!!"


    Boom!!


    "..."


    Damien paused, then frowned. He seemed displeased and annoyed at Flint''s disrespect, but kept everything to himself. "Unfortunately, they are in hell."


    He said, and then stood up. Flint hurriedly looked up and was about to crawl back in feae, but Damien pushed him back down, repeating, "Pain. Anger. Hatred. These are theponents required to bring about one''s potential to its limit. So don''t hold them back. Use them to your heart''s content and..."


    He paused, and stared down at Flint, like a god looking down on a mortal. Like a king, looking down on a peasant. He even held him by the cor, and brought their faces close, "..e get your revenge, once you''ve reached your peak."


    He then threw him back down, and left the small hut, leaving behind Flint, who was half in pain, half in anger. Emotional pain at that. He grit his teeth and roared out at the top of his lungs.


    This was his heart speaking, his heart''s desire, his subconscious thoughts, his true feelings. "GAAWWDD!! TO HELL WITH THAT!! TO HELL WITH REVENGE!! JUST KILL ME, SEND ME WHERE MY FAMILY IS!!"


    "AAAAARRGGHHH!!!"


    mes burst out of his body and exploded out into terrifying mes that burnt down his hut. It was reduced to nothing but cinders, and then the mes slowly died down.


    And with that, it revealed the kneeling Flint, who cried his tears out, in both pain and anger. His body slightly trembling.


    But happy times neverst, so does sad times. A sound of someone pping their hands rang out, causing the unsightly Flint to slowly raise his head to look up.


    "..."


    And what met his sight, was a group of thousands of falsarians, staring down at him in silence, and pure shock.


    Most even held back theirughter, and were trembling from time to time. While some gave him pitied gazes, and others, a few, were embarrassed for him.


    And Damien, stood at the very front, and expressionlessly pped his hearts, adding, "Bravo, bravo young man. That was quite... something. Even I am impressed."


    "..."


    Flint was speechless, and still in disbelief. He could not believe what was going on. He could not understand everything.


    But he could understand one thing though, "You... you guys... are still alive?" His shoulders slumped down in relief, and a silly smile still hiding pain appeared on his lips.


    "You''re still alive... you''re still alive... you''re, you''re all still, alive..." He kept murmuring and murmuring, and at some point, tears broke down from his eyes.


    He was now happy. And relieved.


    "..."


    Everyone within the vige paused, and looked at the young boy before them. No more held backughter. No more trembling. No more embarrassment.


    Just sadness, sympathy and pity.


    They now got to understand their little boy a lot more than they thought they did. Damien saw this, and stood aside, letting destiny take its course.


    As for his next action, it was to find the first Mana source resource that he wouldter take back home. But before that, he had to go get a few special stones.


    ~~~


    Time went by, and Damien found himself within a small hut in the evening. Before him was Flint, and besides Flint was Fou, and besides Fou, was little Fin.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Damien never exined himself, or the main purpose ofing here. As for this discussion, it had to do with his departure.


    "You''re really leaving?" Flint asked, and Damien nodded. He frowned and seemed conflicted, then asked, "And you''re really not going to tell me more about yourself?"


    The young man was now sorted, and his mentality restored. He could now better understand the situation, and was forgiven by his people.


    "Yeah." Damiem said, then turned to Fou, "I''ll be leaving tomorrow morning. As for the damages I''ve made, I talked to the old man Fez, and he said I''ll talk to you."


    Fou nodded sternly, "Yes, sir. What would you like to tell me?" She asked. She now had newfound respect for Damien, and almost everyone believed he was a god.


    After all, fate, his knowledge, his martial arts proficiency, and his charm, they were greatly beyond just being mortal, or even at the demigod level.


    To them, he was a powerful god, or one of the few most powerful demigods. Basically, he was godly to them. Hence the respect.


    "Nothing much. I just want to give you the coordinates and means of transportation of a new environment. If, you really want to join my entourage." He added.


    "Really?" Fou asked, expectant and happy at that. She had to be, after all, Damien seemed promising and powerful.


    "Yes." Damien did not beat around the bush and presented the Teleportation scrolls to them. They were Tier 3 materials, and could teleport a thousand beings at the same time.


    Fifteen of them could easily take this whole settlement back to the pixie realm. Then he presented seven barrels of faith, that could greatly help one in attaining godhood.


    As long as they maxed out their level, and could absorb faith, they only needed to convert their Mana to Divine power, and truly step into the realm of gods.


    Divine power was highly refined Mana with reality altering effects. With enough, one could change the universe to their liking, or even shape reality in their image.


    And Damien just presented such a path to them. Fou and Flint were speechless. They did not even know how to ept all of this.


    "Don''t say anything. I am a benevolent man. I treat my people with kindness, and my enemies with ruthless. If you agree to fall under mymand, of course I will spoil you."


    He said, catching the attention of all three beings. He then added, "It all depends on your choice. If you ept, I''ll make you into gods. If you disagree, I''ll still give you resources worth your vige, and more for the trouble caused."


    "Sleep on it, ande with a reply before I... on second thoughts, you can think about it for a while longer. In the meantime, Flint." He called out, and the young man in question hurriedly responded, "Yes, sir."


    "I have a few broken down artifacts, and many resources... do you think you can make something out of this for me?" He asked, and Flint beamed at that question.


    His sub-ss was all about creation.


    He could now create unique artifacts with the right resources and enough time, especially with the help of both his sses.


    "I would love to." Flint responded, dwarfing down the excitement within his heart. Plus, this way, he could win over the heart of this man for his people!!


    Damien nodded, and was about to end the conversation, when Fou presented a matter to him. "Sir Damien. About the vampire. What should we do about it?"


    "Oh, that..." Damien paused and thought about it carefully. Since everyone would be leaving to the Pixie Paradise, then the vampire would not dare go over there.


    Even if he did, he would just die from the power that the pixie''s held. Hence there was no need for him to worry much about him.


    "Don''t worry. Where I am sending you, is an especially well protected ce. A ce were all residents are gods through an through, regardless of their sizes." He said as such, and Fou nodded.


    She did not take his words into my consideration. She knee that gods could range from being as small as kids, to asrge as giants and titans.


    "Alright. Thank you for your time." She said, and bowed. Flint and Fin also bowed towards him as well, and Damien waved them off just like that.


    The trio left, and Damien frowned. The vampire knew a lot about Fate thanks to his Unique Abilities, hence he will probably know of what was going on right now.


    Luckily, it would take a month even for him to travel here at full speed, which Damien knew he still had at most two to three weeks.


    Until then, he had to get stronger, and prepare for worse while on his journey. After all, this vampire god... was not just a mere lesser god, but a whole Rank higher.


    A peak greater god at that.

 Chapter 55 Godly Forging

    ?The next day arrived, and Damien stood before Fez and Fa''ar. They talked about yesterday''s conversation, the one he had with Fou, and agreed to think about it.


    Meanwhile, Damien left and decided to walk around as he waited.


    As for Flint, he was within a newly built forge ground, that did not take long for the professionals to quickly make.


    It was not perfect, yet was good enough to forge tens ofplete artifacts. And he decided to go to work immediately.


    He took ahold of the storage ring in his hands, and took out everything within. They piled up before him into a small pile of treasures.


    Bracelet of Norde(Superior), Bracelet of Sarrd(Superior), Bracelet of Barrd(Superior), Bracelet of Narrd(Superior), Mana Bracelet(Perfect Superior), Staff of Yggdrasil(Godly Unique), Spear Head(Superior), Gray Mask(Superior), Bracelet of Oid(Superior), Phantom Cloak(Superior), Heidi''s Club(Superior), Red Cloak(Superior), Wings of Ash(Superior), Gouge Maker(Superior), Seven-Pieced Boomerang(Perfected Superior), Undying Ten Piece Armor(Perfected Superior), Gig''s Hammer(Superior), Bear Coat(Superior), Axe of Nirvana(Godly Unique), Demon Fragment(1/7), Angel Fragment(1/7), False Angel Feathers(¡Á36), Tier 1 Monster Core(¡Á1), Hardened Bones(¡Á16), Extra Sharp Beak(¡Á1), Mole ws(¡Á8), Tier 1 Beast Cores(¡Á26), Memory Shards(¡Á10), Tier 1 Undying Vine(¡Á1), God''s Dew(¡Á1), Condensed Divine Crystals(¡Á10), Void Stones(¡Á3), Tier 3 Teleportation Scrolls(¡Á15), Barells of Faith(¡Á10), Spirit Fragment(6/4), Tier 1 Spirit Shard(¡Á5), Mana Core(¡Á1), World Tree Syrup(¡Á1), Mana Stones(¡Á1000), Map of Voodond(¡Á1), An Unknown ck Stone, Dragon Whip(Perfect Superior), Dragon Canon(Perfect Superior), Dragon Scale Shield(Perfect Superior), Dragon Heart(Tier 3/Iplete)...


    Almost a hundred treasures and resources altogether were packed before him. Flint was excited at such a sight, and hurriedly appraised them one by one.


    ''Such rare treasures. Where were they forged? They are low leveled alright, but greatly perfect in foundation. I can definitely work with this!!'' He thought, and immediately went to work.


    He first took the bracelets, and checked to see if he could make something out of them. After checking their definition, he searched for more resources within the pile, and found them.


    Then chose some from his defective products at the nigh-godly level, matching in element with each bracelet. And of course, one bracelet had no match.


    The Mana Bracelet.


    ''I''ll substitute with the non elementary defective productI have. Hope it works.'' He thought and decided to melt each Bracelet within a different high leveled cauldron-like object.


    He threw each Bracelet within, and summoned his mes, which were tinged red, orange and gold, making the temperature climb all the way to 5000¡ãC.


    He then watched as each Bracelet melted, and he poured the resources he found within the pile of treasures.


    Firstly, the Bracelet of Norde was mixed up with a powered "Fire Stone", a Tier 1 resource. Then next, was heated up with more mes than the others, before throwing in the red defective products he previously forged.


    The other bracelets also had their own process, and he used different resources for each; a "Water Egg", a "Wind Orb", a "Valley Core" etc.


    ''I should keep the mes managed. The fire type artifact can absorb more mes than others, but the water type artifact needs less mes. The other three require equilibrium mes.'' He thought, focused on his work.


    He then finished up the mixture, and now only had to mold each one into a bracelet and let up the finishing touches.


    But he had a crazy idea. ''As a forger, I treat every piece of work of mine as an organ of mine. I have to take care of it, like I take care of myself. I should forge it, as if I''m forging myself.''


    ''I have to be one with my art.'' He thought, and went into a state of Trans.


    He found himself mixing the mixtures of all molten-like various colored liquids, and stirring them up using his will and focus. It felt like he was mixing y together.


    At first, everything was chaotic, and gave out the impression that it would explode into pieces everywhere, and destroy the world.


    But Flint knew that was just an illusion, and used his will to calm down the process. Once down, and everything mixed up together, bubbling as if to erupt...


    Flint used his every brain cell to work out a form at terrifying thought processing. And he immediately came to one, and sent his will within the pot to bring out his half-done piece of art.


    At the same time, the world seemed to have vanished from his sight, and was reced by a dark space.


    He appeared within the dark space, and an illusory golden Anvil appeared before him. Within his hand, an illusory hammer also appeared.


    [Creation Key]


    [Ancient Anvil]


    Two ss skills were used, and he began banging down on the molten liquid with focus and extreme concentration. Three colored mes appearing from his body and began doing the refining, purification and evolution of the nigh-product to be born.


    He banged down with his hammer again, and the Anvil resonated with it, creating sparks of creation that gathered into the molten liquid.


    The bang also opened up the internal structure of the artifact. His mind then hurriedly worked out a Source Vein within. One soplex, it seemed like a child''s rambled drawing.


    Kang~


    And with every bang, the molten liquid would slowky take shape, into a unique, and beautiful half-arm-lengthed bracelets that were still molten in nature.


    The process continued for who knows how long, and Flint was already sweating buckets, and breathing heavily due to exhaustion. But he continued banging.


    Kang~


    And he continued, as he treated what was in his hands like his own flesh. Working on it with delicateness and caution.


    Time went by, and by the time he was finished, two newly formed bracelets appeared before him. They were feminine in nature, and golden-bronze in color.


    They were bracelets, that were attached to half lengthed metallic leather gloves, which were also feminine in style.


    Above the glove, was a slot, and on the arm length, were four slots on each of these bracelets. Overall, they were amazing and powerful.


    Flint smiled at them and hurriedly viewed their definition, looking forward to checking if he had seeded at forging a godly artifact at the age of just 18 years!!


    [ Bracelets of Mava-Mana ]


    [ Godly Unique. A weapon forged by the me Demiurge at the age of 18, using five superior bracelets, a fire stone, a water egg.... ]


    [ A weapon born to bring upon this world equilibrium within the Universal Principle, and even affects the very Essence of Mana-dynamics and Mana-nucleosis, Universal Rules. The one chosen by this artifact, shall have increasedprehension on the nine elementaryws by 1000%. Their Mana absorption shall be increased by 5000% every cultivation ]


    [ Has the Unique Abilities, "Principle Prodigy", "Quintessential Mana Empress", "Cataclysm of Nature" ]<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    [ A work of Art ]


    Unlike Damien and Juliette, Flint could see all the information this artifact could present. And he was surprised it went beyond just godly, and was godly unique!!


    "Hahaha!! Hahaha!! I did it... I did it!!" He screamed out to himself in joy. He even wanted to skip out and show off, but knew he still had a lot to do.


    Not only did he seed, but he seeded at making an artifact two Ranks beyond just Unique. It was truly amazing through and through.


    He set his gaze on the treasures before him and smiled sheepishly. ''I''ll advance all of them to unique, or godly, even if I have to use all that I have.'' He thought.


    He then stared down at the other treasures and resources, and immediately went to work. He did not know how much time went by, but to him, it seemed like ages.


    And those ages, paid off!!


    [ Hell Piecer (Godly) ] (Spear)


    [ Mask of Gray (Unique) ]


    [ Void Keeper (Unique) ] (Bracelet)


    [ Wraith Embrace (Godly) ] (Cloak)


    [ Devil Gown (Unique) ] (Cloak)


    [ Wings of Endless Ash (Unique) ]


    [ Andromeda (Godly) ] (Club)


    [ Elemental Nine-ws (Godly) ] (Boomerang)


    [ Death God''s Armament (Godly) ] (Armor)


    [ Undaine Bear Coat (Unique) ] (Armor)


    [ Speed Conduit (Unique) ] (Armor Suit)


    [ Dragon King''s Heart (Unique) ]


    [ Mirror Orb (Unique) ] (essory)


    [ Book of Fate (Unique) ]


    [ Misty Paradise (Unique) ] (essory)


    [ Cloak of Mysteries (Unique) ]


    [ Null de (Unique) ]


    [ Memoir of War (Unique) ] (essory)


    [ Twin Ice Snappers (Unique) ] (Daggers)


    [ Murder''s Decree (Unique) ] (essory)


    [ Night Walker (Unique) ] (Armor Suit)


    [ Sword of Legends (Unique) ]


    [ Lich King''s Warden (Unique) ]


    [ Ring of Promises (Godly Unique) ]


    [ Dragon''s Scourge (Unique) ] (Whip)


    [ God Buster (Unique) ] (Canon)


    [ Dragon''s Favor (Unique) ] (Shield)


    A total of twenty one Unique artifacts, and five Godly artifacts. Flint was exhausted, but he had a bright smile on his face, one that was full of aplishment.


    As for the single Godly Unique artifact, even he could not expect that. Along with the


    , they were both unexpected.


    He just wanted to upgrade the storage ring, and increase its size, only for this to ur. The resources and materials used, weren''t even that greatpared to the others.


    He also could not exin the name, which was not something most forgers or cksmiths do. Mostly, Unique and above artifacts name themselves ording to their fate.


    And this ring... also had its own fate.


    He did not even dare to check out its definition, or whether it was still just a storage ring or not. He left all that to fate... and destiny.


    "I should go meet up with that guy." He thought, and took everything out. He put them within the [Void Keeper(Unique)], which had a storage space of a hundred thousand cubic miles.


    A great qualitative hangepared to Tier 3 storage type artifacts.

 Chapter 56 Spirits

    ?*** Juliette Silver ***


    It has been three days my beloved has left me here all alone, all by myself, with not even a piece of him. I feel like I have been abandoned once again.


    In simple terms, I am bored.


    Bored out of my mind.


    Everyday, I just wake up to go and study mystic magic under the guide of Mr Pixie. Yes, the experience is fun, and I have learned the basic foundation of Mystic Magic.


    Problem is, the process is strange and long. Sometimes I do the cleaning, the washing, the babysitting, and other chores around here.


    Then sometimes I sing.


    Sometimes I dance.


    Sometimes I even do nothing.


    "..."


    Well, the thing is, I did get to learn the [Mystic Magic] Unique Ability, and now am in the process of learning sub skills as First and Second grade Spells.


    So far, I''ve formed the following Mystic Arts; [Spell Creation], [Rune Casting], [Symbol Inscription], [Magic Maniption] and [Personal Magic: Mana].


    They were really powerful, just as Damien said they would be. I am truly not disappointed whatsoever.


    Either than that, I have also learned the [Mana Magic] Unique Ability, a specialty of mine, and a one of a kind magic. Within, were the Mana-type Second grade Spells I had, and a few more.


    They were as follows; [Mana Control], [Mana Enhancement], [Mana Construction], [Mana Aura] and [Mana Creation].


    There was also [Spirit Magic] Unique Ability, [Fire Magic] Extra Ability, [Water Magic] Extra Ability, [Wind Magic] Extra Ability and [Earth Magic] Extra Ability.


    Each had their own spells that I can currently use at the moment. For [Spirit Magic] were; [Spirit Summon], [Spirit Grooming], [Spirit Communication], [Spirit Empowerment] and [Spirit Fusion].


    For [Fire Magic] were; [Fire Ball] and [Fire st].


    For [Water Magic] were; [Bubble Prison] and [Water Dragon].


    For [Wind Magic] were; [Haste] and [Hurricane Burst].


    For [Earth Magic] were; [Mountain Wall] and [Meteorite].


    These were my new Abilities and Spells. And speaking of spells, Unique Abilities give one five spell quotations to that element, and Extra Abilities give two spell quotations.


    Then with every Rank up, they increase by one. So far, I have neen spell quotations, and they were currently maxed out. But all that was secondary matters.


    The most important part... was what I had created two days prior. Well not creating, but birthing using Spirit Fragments.


    I had eight of them, Fragments I mean.


    And out of the eight, came two strange eggs that even the Pixie prince could not truly decipher. I even heard it murmur "Strange." From time to time the past few days.


    It was a golden orb like egg, and a silver orb like egg. When I had summoned them, the pixie prince appeared, and we had a conversation amongst us.


    "Oho~ A sessful formation of a spirit. Two of them. You must he extremely loved by thedies of luck." It said, and I paused appraising the orbs, to carefully take a look at them.


    Then I asked, "Is it rare?" The pixie nodded and said, "Yes. Spirits are innately Tier 3 creatures, with potential to surpass godhood by just living a normal life."


    "The weakest of them, could even challenge demigods born from weaker leveled gods. Hence birthing one such entity, was rare toe by." It concluded.


    I nodded, then remembered why I had seeded in birthing two with just eight Shards...


    It was because those weren''t the only materials I had on me. There was the "Demonic Fragment" that Damien obtained, and was fused into the golden orb.


    And the "Angelic Fragment" that was fused into the silver egg. They resonated well, hence why I tried it. And it''s not like I expected it to work, you know.


    I had also used a single [Mana Core] on both of them, a Condensed Divine Crystal for each of them, a Void Stone for each of them, Damien took thest with him.


    Then used five hundred Mana Stones equally shared amongst them, Damien took the other half as well.


    Unfortunately, even then, it would still take a long time for me to sessfully birth these little guys, ording to the pixies.


    "As spirits are Tier 3 creatures at birth, you would need to feed them Mana equivalent to those of the weakest being in that League... multiplied by a hundred."


    "That was just how important spirits were. And that was just on average. For some lucky fellows, they would need to feed them Mana equivalent to the strongest of demigods."


    "Which was a hundred times a hundred those of the strongest Tier 3 entities. In simple terms, one could nurture a spirit for his entire life... and never even see it once."


    "But if you do seed, you get yourself a semi-divine spirit, entities stronger than even demigods, and could challenge even gods to some extent." The pixie exined, and I could easily understand it.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Then I asked, "What about the spirits within the egg? What happens when you give them Mana, yet never birth them?"


    The pixie immediately responded, as if waiting for that question. "Simple. Imagine being stranded in a dessert, dehydrated and hungry, and a light rain urs, them stops... how long would you survive?"


    I frowned as such a question was easy to understand. The answer was one simple one, "Not for long." I said, and it heavily nodded its head, sparkles flying out of its body.


    "Bingo!!"


    These guys...


    I chuckled at their childishness. Anyway, from then, it''s been two days, and twenty days outside in our world, and likely, almost five months within the average world.


    ...I''m still not used to this. I''m almost fifteen and a half years old, in just less than a month''s time of living.


    Thats not important though.


    What''s important is that, throughout the two days, my Mana that had reached over a billion, had been shared equally amongst these little guys.


    My Mana recovery rate was 24 hours, which was around fifteen minutes here. Hence every half an hour, I would give each of these guys half my Mana, then recover.


    I even skipped my meals and my beauty sleep. Just for my future little babies.


    That meant that I had given these two little guys, almost fifty billion units of Mana each, by this time. That was a lot of Mana, you know? Not even their mommy has that much... yet.


    "It seems like you have yourself a peak Tier 3 spirit, or a semi-divine spirit if you''re lucky." The pixie said, and I silently dreaded it''sst words.


    Semi-divine? How much Mana would that be?


    "You will need over a month if it was just a peak Tier 3 Spirit. And probably over eleven years here, if it was a Divine spirit." The pixie said, as if it could read my expressions.


    Was I that easy to read?


    No. More importantly, what?


    Eleven years? That''s as good as a thousand years through the world calender!!


    "..."


    I suddenly now realize how mothering something can be so hard. It''s like carrying an unknown being in your belly for nine months, and it still calls you a bitch.


    Life... can be hard at times.


    Anyway, all I have to do is just increase my Mana reserves, and that would be a done deal. I could easily seed in less than a year.


    And with my, and Damien''s reserves shared equally thanks to our partnership, I can leave this to him for time being.


    Speaking about him, I rubbed the soft orb like eggs within my eggs and softly whispered to them, "Let me tell you another story about daddy. Daddy is a great man that..."


    ...Don''t look at me like that. It gets boring just sitting down and doing nothing you know. I mean... I heard that this was good for babies in their tummy phase.


    So it''s not like I''m doing anything bad.


    Yes. I am not doing anything bad at all. Nor am I crazy. I am perfectly normal... Hm. Even I doubt the validity to those words. But I believe I am normal.


    Either than all that, I have also seeded in my first trial for my wish. It was to be a magician. Which I seeded, and have almost twenty spells within my grasp.


    And my second trial, was to at least learn to grasp four elementary affinities, and increase them to at least nighw attainments.


    And honestly, I have no idea how I am supposed to do that. But at least I got a little hint from the pixie yesterday morning.


    "Elemental affinity? That''s easy. For fire, you just have to burn and bare with it. For water, you just have to swim and swim and swim. For earth, you just have to work hard on the farm, like nting crops and stuff. And for wind..." It paused, and looked at me.


    My face also froze, and became unsightly. There''s no way it''s what I am thinking. "...Do I, have to, fly?"


    The pixie nodded, and sparkles flew out of its body once again as it congratted me. "Bingo!! You really are smart."


    Smart my behind!!


    How on earth am I supposed to aplish that without magic or special abilities?


    That''s bull... You know what, for Damien''s sake, I shall go through all of this.


    Or rather for my sake?


    Whatever. For both of us!!


    As for my wish? It''s a secret~

 Chapter 57 Adonis Hellish Training

    ?Within the Shade Stronghold


    Adonis'' Estate


    The young born king sat within his room, and before him sat the number sixth ranked Assassin throughout the whole of humanity, Sixth.


    They both had ugly expressions. Especially the young born king, Adonis. He sat before Sixth, not knowing what to say, and just sat there in tense relief.


    There was no way they could not be tense in their current situation. "Is there... really no other way out of this? Is our path of escape so narrow?" Adison asked.


    "..."


    Sixth kept quiet and just minded his own business, but his expressions was dark and ice cold. It was obvious even he could not see through their current cataclysm.


    An Alpha Wolf. Multiple subordinate Alpha Wolves at the same level, yet different in terms ofbat power and potential.


    Numerous Beta Wolves, numerous Delta Wolves, numerous other wolves that also stepped into the First League Realm.


    And worst of all, more were still being called forth by these monster pack, showing no signs of holding back at all.


    And by now, Humanity was losing in terms ofbat forces. So far, only a few had seeded at entering the First League, and none had yet to be a Second League Combatant.


    Adison thought about this, and from his idea on people''s potential when ites to leveling, people were a month or so away from truly bing Advanced Professions.


    Let alone bing Master Professions within the Second League. Basically, no human had yet to be an Advanced being, yet beasts and monsters were already traversing through the Second League.


    The difference was asrge as day and night. It was unstoppable. As far as he saw the situation, it was not reversible.


    "Sir, what do you¨C" Adison was about to say something, but Sixth''s ice cold re made him hold his tongue and tie it into knots as fast as he could.


    "..."


    He kept quiet, and lowered his head in fright. But the killing intent only climbed up, and almost made him wet his pants in fear.


    Then an ice cold voice soon followed, "Look at me. Right now." It demanded, then added, "Straight in the eyes."


    Adison did not dare do that. He knew that death was but a given when he raised his head, hence he kept it down, and trembled in fright.


    "Raise your head." The voice followed in annoyance, and the killing intent became thicker and thicker. "And look at me in the eyes." It added, anger mixed within.


    "..."


    But Adison cherished has life, and continued to keep it down. His trembling became even more chaotic, and he almost fainted in fright.


    "Senior Sixth, that''s about enough." Then to his rescue, was the angelic ice cold voice of Ninth, that lessened the terrifying pressure and killing intent by great magnitudes.


    Sixth clicked his tongue and stopped focusing on Adison, adding with a whisper, "Some natural born king you are. You''re just trash." Tone full of annoyance and irritation.


    "..."


    Adison kept his head lowered, and did not dare raise it up. But tears were already wailing in his eyes, and his teeth were grit to the extreme. His fists clenched tightly.


    Sixth just do happened to see this from the corner of his eyes, and scoffed at him. "What? Do you think I said something harsh? Am I not speaking the truth?"


    He threw questions at him, and Adison just kept gritting his teeth and bared with the humiliation. Ninth did not speak, and only looked at Adison.


    Hidden expectations within her eyes. Unfortunately, they were both disappointed as Adison kept quiet and bared with the humiliation he was thrown with.


    "...Tsk." Sixth clicked his tongue in annoyance then said to him, "Tomorrow morning, exactly at 5am, it''s me and you at the training field. We will go at it until I say stop. Is that clear?"


    Adison kept quiet for a while longer, took a deep breathe and nodded his head. He could not fight against these people, and promised that he would just suffer the humiliation.


    When the timees...


    "And you bettere." Sixth added, then left in a sh. Ninth watched everything take ce, and helplessly shook her head.


    She also vanished out of the room, leaving behind a barely audible message. "An Emperor is born from a King. And a King is born from fortitude and tough times."


    "..."


    Adison barely heard those words, but to the current him, they meant nothing more than the words of pity and sympathy from one''s who could kill him at any given moment.


    But he would still take them nheless. His life... rested in the hands of these blood thirsty, top ss, number one assasins.


    The next day.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Early in the morning, exactly at five in the morning ording to their hour ss, Adison appeared within the training field, and there, stood Sixth with two swords.


    He stabbed one sword down on the ground, and pulled back four to five meters, then stood idly with his sword, yet his eyes were cold.


    Adison forced himself to keep walking, his head lowered to look at the sword, and not directly at Sixth. The fear of death was still apparent even at this moment.


    Once he took his sword, and stood ready, Sixth snorted and a burst of killing intent spread out.


    It came as a rush of ice cold breeze, that got him freezing on his knees, and trembling in fright. He subconsciously looked up, and to his fright, saw a wild hideous beast snarling at him.


    He was not sure if it was him, an illusion or genuinely a beast, but a gigantic pr bear full of killing intent and anger gazed at him with a gaze of pure brutality and madness.


    "..."


    The young man froze right there on the spot, and helplessly looked up. The sword in his hands slowly sliding down to the ground, his knees giving in and him kneeling down.


    His gaze was nk. He was not even trembling at this point. For he even doubted whether he was still breathing or not.


    "Pathetic." Such ament woke him, and the next thing he knew, the world was back at its center. The beast was just like an illusion. Or so the young boy believed.


    "..."


    His breathe returned, and he found himself breathing inrge puffs of air just to keep himself at ease. Sweat raining down his forehead like a heavy storm.


    But his nightmare was just beginning, for not even ten minutes had gone by, until everything took ce. "Again." Was the beginning of his nightmare.


    ...!!!


    The young man looked up, and a gaze full of bloodlust met him. It was stern, and cold. And he knew that there was nothing else he could do, nor say to escape this.


    And the young man''s torture sessions began. Day in, day out. He would be trained in dealing with pressure, facing killing intent, strengthening his will, challenging higher authorities and the likes.


    Every training was not something young nobles and young master go through. Not even full fledged warriors andmanders, would go through such gruesome mental training.


    It was strange and out of ce. Especially for the young Adison. Everyday, he felt himself change because of this training. Mentally wise.


    He was not getting stronger too. No. He was just getting annoyed, and irritated. Especially at Sixth. Sometimes, he would just disagree to thetter''smands just for the sake of going against him.


    Of course, followed by fear, and begging of his life. But that also became less and less often. And at some point in the near future, this young natural born king, might not even fear devils and gods.


    For his trainers were much worse.


    And because he was... him.


    Unfortunately... that day was not now. Nor was it going toe anytime soon. Because...


    Bang!!


    He crashed down heavily, and coughed out a mouthful of blood. He was all bruised up, and could barely stand up, nor twitch. He was beat up ck and blue.


    "That''s about enough for today." Sixth said, and left the training court expressionlessly, not minding the beat up Adonis. It was evening. Five at noon.


    He went through twelve hours of being beat down, ck and blue. No rest. No lunch. No I''m between for him.


    Moments after he left, Ninth secretly appeared with a medic kit. She began treating him silently, and when he was better, she left. Adonis, who was beat up, sighed.


    He did not understand this duo.


    One treated him like shit, and the other treated him with care. Of course, he could im that Ninth was interested in him, romantically wise.


    But he did not believe he was that handsome. At least, not THAT handsome.


    Even if he barely knows how Ninth looks like due to her gear, which was a ninja-like outfit, he at least knew she was beautiful enough.


    She was definitely out of his League, and her healing him was for the sake of her mission. ''I have to be kept alive to be of use after all. There''s no other exnation than that.''


    He thought, and after a moment, he stood up and limped all the way to his room. His personal training ground was where no other servants could go in and out.


    Hence they never saw such a scene of him being beat up, and left for dead. And he would make sure they never nevere across such a scene. Ever.


    As for the wolves, their threat was still within his mind, but they were not to the point where he never ate or slept due to stress. He could, so far, bare with the mental stress.


    Not the physical one though...

 Chapter 58 Wolf Hunt

    ?Within the Wolf Valley, a great battle was taking ce, as a single human being chose to go against multiple wolves all by themself.


    It was a woman dressed in ck. A tight fit gear that held her figure perfectly well, illustrating her top ss athletic figure. One at the peak of peak human physiology.


    She dashed through the forest at insane speed, crossing multiple meters in just a single step.


    She was so fast, she felt like a blur of dark light as she traversed hundreds of meters with every step, and leaving behind a pack of wild angry wolves numbering in the thousands.


    And amongst these wolves, some were capable of traveling at sound speed, and tailed behind her. They had speed-type mutations.


    Yet they could still not catch up to her. ''My speed has been decreasingtely. It''s as if I am being suppressed by something. Like I am almost ten times slower than I usually am.'' The woman thought as she ran.


    She had deliberately slowed down her speed so that the wolves that could travel at sound speed, could slowly catch up to her.


    And once they were about to catch up, she slowly increased her speed, and maneuvered through the forest at insane speeds, dodging obstacles and trees like a professional acrobatic.


    The wolves always followed behind her, not willing to let go. The anger and killing intent was apparent within their eyes.


    "..."


    Esther ignored all that though, and kept running and running. She had nothing in her mind either than to run, and to run, she did.


    Boom!!


    She kicked off and shattered the sound barrier with her speed. The wolves chasing her also kicked off at full speed and each shattered the sound barrier after her.


    They were like blurs of light, of varying colors. The wolves chasing her were Advanced Wolves, or rather, the current Beta Wolves of the current Wolf n.


    They were fifteen of them, and this was not even 1% of the Beta Wolves. But Esther was not worried, she was not working alone right now.


    "..."


    She ran, and swiftly did an acrobatic jump, mixed with a flip. In her mid air posture, she threw sharp needles that each shattered the sound barrier and struck three Beta Wolves.


    Two were killed immediately, and one slowed down, but death was for sure. The needle had struck straight on the neck.


    But the Grays were never ones to y fair. They were cunning devils. One of them was Esther, the number one assassin.


    Esther curled mid air, thennded on a tree, and kicked off at extreme speed once again, taking off like bullet let loose.


    The wolves chased after her, but two unfortunate wolves were suddenly diced into bloody mist, flesh and bones everywhere.


    ...!!!


    The other remaining wolves did not stop but carefully maneuvered the area, and as they did so, they realized that the path to chase after Esther was riddled with spider-web-like tight strings.


    They were frightened, but not overwhelmed. The death of five of their brothers angered them more, and they chased after the daring woman with hatred.


    Yet their every step was full of caution within. Unfortunately, caution proved to be unnecessary against a Gray. Especially this small family of three.


    Esther slowed down her speed ever so slowly, making it seem as if they were catching up to her by themselves.


    In their angered state, it gave them the impression that their anger and hatred made them run faster than they actually could. It was high leveled mind y.


    They believed they went over their limits.


    "..."


    Esther nced at them from behind as they got closer and closer to her. Then up ahead, the trees were getting narrower and narrower, a sign of an open space up ahead.


    But she was unphased and kept running. The wolves that believed that Esther was fast only because of the trees, were joyfully at that discovery.


    They pushed on ahead, and waited for the moment to rip apart their prey once she gave them even the smallest chance out there.


    And once they reached the periphery of the forest, where no trees could be seen, Esther jumped up and disregarded the wolves.


    The wolves looked up while chasing, and forgot to look ahead. And up ahead, was another perfect trap Estherid for her predators. One that was full-proofed.


    ''Checkmate.'' She thought, mid air, looking down on the wolves, as they also looked up at her. Not aware of theiring death.


    And momentster, once out of the forest, they stepped over a patch of grass that was lighter than the sorounding patch in shade, causing all ten wolves to sink down into the earth.


    "Awoo!!"


    "Aw..."


    "Awwooo!!"


    Normally, a single person would not he heavy enough to sink the trap, nor notice that the grass was out of ce. Of course, unless they were innately observant in nature.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Not even ten people could be heavy enough to cause it to sink down. But one must remember, a single Advanced Leveled Wolf was heavier andrger than a normal human.


    It was around eleven meters long, and five meters tall, and weighed over six hundred kilograms. Wolves here were originally twice asrge as earth wolves before mutation.


    Ten of them umted to approximately over six tons, which was more than enough topletely sink the pit trap filled with well forged sharp weapons and pikes.


    Each weapon nted to face up, ready to piece anything falling within with extreme ruthlessness. It was like falling into the maws of a powerful beast.


    "..."


    Meanwhile, Esther used [Wind Control] to twirl wind around her body, slowing down her descent. Then, she maneuvered herself carefully andnded on the edge of the pitfall trap.


    Looking down, she saw all ten wolves pieced and ruthlessly killed. They evolved in terms of speed, and not in terms of defense.


    With their speed, and free fall that was so deep, they were destined to be pieced to death without any hesitation from the weapons.


    This was just... ruthless.


    Esther watched them for a few more seconds, then moved back towards the thousands of Adept Leveled (Tier 2) and Apprentice Leveled (Tier 3) Wolves that were left behind.


    She began her hunt like a true assassin, killing them one by one, like a shadow in the dark, like a ghost in hell, and like a devil given the get-go at the end of times.


    Her every movement was calcted, and ruthless. And she was faster than them, hence they could barely do anything against this great messenger of death.


    The number one assassin of humankind.


    She was just monstrous.


    An hour or soter, she stopped her killing spree, and watched as the forest wasid down with wolf corpses and blood everywhere.


    It was terrifying.


    Momentster, she was done killing.


    And the sorounding pungent smell of blood was potent. But Esther grew in bloodshed, and was not phased. From beginning to end, her expression was null and empty.


    It was very much unlike her motherly x wifely expression she shows her family.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ You have killed 978 Tier 1 Wolves. You have obtained 13,962 Life Essence units ]


    [ You have killed 142 Tier 2 Wolves. You have obtained 4,970 Life Essence units. The targets are a Rank above you. Life Essence obtained has been doubled ]


    [ You have killed 15 Tier 3 Wolves. You have obtained 1,313 Life Essence units. The targets are two Ranks above you. Life Essence obtained has been quadrupled ]


    [ Your Life Essence has been shared equally amongst your Bloodline ]


    [ You have obtained 9,718 Life Essence units ]


    Esther went through the notifications, then decided not to Level up once again. She was nning on going all the way to bing an Advanced Shadow Speedster.


    For her Hidden ss, it was a little over 21 000 units of Life Essence. And she could collect enough of that after a few more eliminations like these ones.


    "I wonder how my hubby is doing." She thought out loud, and let curiosity get the best of her. She vanished at fast speed, and went towards David''s direction.


    Along the way, she killed a few more small parties of wolves, and leveled herself all the way to the peak of the Apprentice Rank, level 10, then paused.


    [ TING!! ]


    [ You have leveled up... You have leveled up... You have leveled up... You have leveled up ]


    [ Due to your HIDDEN CLASS, you have spent 3,360 units of Life Essence to Level up all the way to Level 10. You have obtained more benefits from level ups ]


    [ Your AGI, END and AFF have increased by 12,0 points each ]


    [ You have obtained 32 Extra Stat Points. You have obtained 32 Avable Ability Points ]


    [ Your Mana has increased by 1 600% ]


    "Oh." Esther knew that Hidden sses were amazing, but nobody told her they were THIS amazing. Well, she read the definition and knew it herself.


    But experiencing the effects themselves was better than just reading them. She was far faster than she used to be, but most importantly...


    [ You have enough Mana to use Unique Abilities with reserve. The minimum cost of the lowest Unique Ability transcends fifty million units of Mana. Work with caution ]


    [ ... ]

 Chapter 59 Undying?

    ?Seeing this, Esther felt the passive effects of her Unique Abilities kick in, and be applied within her body instantly. Like being submerged in a pool after a hard day of work.


    It was rejuvenating.


    Her speed exploded out exponentially, and she believed that she was faster than sound... by a veryrge margin even.


    Next, was her physical and magic endurance. After all, running at her current speed, required a very sturdy body that could bare with the damage head on.


    She then called up her Temte, and decided to check out what to do with her free stats and ability points. They... had to be used, didn''t they? She thought.


    [ Name: Esther Gray ]


    [ Mana: 73 893 526 ]


    [ Epithet(1): Wolf Huntress(Normal) ]


    [ ss: Lvl 10 Shadow Speedster ]


    [ Sub-ss: None ]


    [ Life Essence: 15,221 ]


    [Alignment: Neutral Evil ]


    [ Stats: STR - 3,0 || AGI - 240,0 || END - 30,0 || WIS - 4,0 || INT - 0,4 || AFF - 0,4 ]


    [ Stat Points: 32 || Ability Points: 33 ]


    [ Ultimate Abilities(1): Ultimate Speed(1) ]


    [ Unique Abilities(3): Shadow Traversing(1), G-Force Adaption(1), Tempest Thunder Form(1) ]


    [ Extra Abilities(4): Personal Speed(1), Kic Flow Combat(1), Shadow Control(1), Wind Control(1) ]


    [ ss Abilities(5): Abyss Maniption, Absolute Speed, Chaos Borne, Shadow Realm, Shadow Princess ]


    [ Equipment: Storm Chaser(Godly Unique) ]


    [ Resources(0): None ]


    She went through everything, and was disappointed to find out that she could still not use the artifact that she obtained, [Storm Chaser].


    It was in the form of almost knee-length ck and blue slim boots. They were feminine in nature, maybe to match her gender, and their design was up to her liking.


    They released sparks of lightning from time to time, making them seem godly and holy. Unfortunately, she could still not used them even at this moment.


    That aside, she went through her stats, and being her, she divided the free Stat Points throughout the other Stats that her ss did not favor.


    She still believed in extreme speed, but also believed that having strength was not that bad of a deal. Especially if she could do something about it.


    Her stats became like this;


    [ Stats: STR - 10,0 || AGI - 240,0 || END - 30,0 || WIS - 10,0 || INT - 9,9 || AFF - 9,9 ]


    ording to her ''son'', INT and AFF would better aid her Skills and Abilities, in terms of efficiency and damage dealt. While WIS would help in her defense to the two mentioned above.


    "Now, for the Ability Points. How would one use them?" Esther thought, and first used ten on her favorite Ability, [Personal Speed], for starters.


    She knew nothing about this part. Even Damien did not ce that much importance to it when they had their discussion. Hence he did not exin much about it.


    [ TING!! ]


    [ You have powerleveled your Ability, [Personal Speed] to the peak of the first stage. If you use the same amount of Ability Points, you can upgrade it to be a Unique Skill ]


    "Oh?" Now this was a surprise to the woman. She went through everything, and powerleveled [Kic Flow Combat] to the peak, then used the remaining twelve points equally on the Elemental Abilities.


    Her Ability tab became like;


    [ Extra Abilities(4): Personal Speed(Max), Kic Flow Combat(Max), Shadow Control(7), Wind Control(7) ]


    Esther nodded at her Temte, then shut it down. From her current level, to the peak of the First League was ten more levels.


    That would be more rewards than she currently obtained. All she had to do was wait until the Second League powerhouses to enter the stage, before she could level up to that stage.


    As for her ss Skills. ording to her ''son'', she could use them even on gods, and they would be effective due to the Providence of her Hidden ss.


    But to affect a god, she needed over quadrillions of units of Mana. But affecting mere mortals was no biggie for her. She could even affect Third League Combatant.


    ''Or so I think I can. My intuition tells me so.'' She thought, then left at terrifying speed. Her speed being over super sonic speed. She was headed for her husband.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    And with her current speed, would arrive there in just a couple of seconds. And the distance was hundreds of miles away from her current location.


    Nine secondster, she moved at terrifying speeds and appeared above a tree far away from a bloody battlefield, like a ck shadowy figure.


    And there, she saw her husband, David, go wild against his opponents, his level resonating with hers, as she saw his gigantic form fighting these wolves bare handed.


    He was five times his size, being almost ten meters tall, and with that, his strength and endurance also increased by five times, making his terrifying strength more... devastating.


    The weight of each of his punches held within them over a hundred thousand worth of tons. And even the defense type mutated wolves could not take a beating from him.


    "HAHAHAHA!! BRING IT, BRING IT ON!!" The maddend David roared as wolves that were five meters tall, and over ten meters long charged at him from all directions.


    But his muscles were so tight and thick, they could barely do any damage at all. His tissue density was as dense as the weight each of his fist held.


    The wolves that bit at him, had their teeth sink in and got stuck, or shatter immediately upon contact. And mind you, these were teeth capable of chewing iron and boulders.


    The man smiled in pure ecstacy as he tore off the wolves from his muscles, like tearing paper from a book.


    He was so strong that, when he pulled, the body of the wolves would easily be separated from the wolf''s head. Each wolf seemed fragile and jelly-like to him.


    He ignored the wolves and kept up the killing spree, taking out the over a thousand wolves before the duration to his Unique Skill coulde off.


    And once he was done killing and satisfied, he reverted back to his size, and smiled at the scent of death spreading everywhere. Ones that he spread himself.


    He was proud of his work.


    "Care for a boreddy to join you, good sir?" Then out of the blue, the voice of the one woman whom he had a fragile spot for within his heart, bloomed within his ears.


    David smiled, and without turning back, responded. "I usually do mind, but since the boreddy is you, I guess I can relent." He said, finally turning around to take a careful look at his one and only.


    "Not hurt?" He asked, and she smiled, the wifely smile that he was used to. "Nope. Who do you think thisdy is?" She yfully brushed her hair behind her.


    "Mine?" David smirked and inquired yfully. Esther threw herself into his hands, not minding the blood and guts all over him. "Yes, good sir. Yours truly... me."


    The couple smiled at each other, and moved their heads closer to one another. But their moment was ruined at this moment, by an arrogant voice from above.


    "Aren''t you two ashamed of yourselves?!" The voice disrupted a perfect moment, resulting in both Grays keeping quiet and holding in their rage and dissatisfaction.


    Unfortunately, one of them could not.


    Esther vanished at unfathomable speed, like a ghost within the wind, and appeared before the arrogant being in a sh. Like a lightning strike.


    The other person was a young woman who had fiery red hair, and was also dressed in a fiery red dress, while also having fiery red eyes. She was like a tomato.


    Her beauty was top ss cute, and her height was short for an adult woman. But her proportions were right, and abundant.


    ...!!!


    She was shocked at Esther''s speed, and before she could say anything to defend herself, "What? Wai¨C"


    She was silenced by a fast de that was far faster than light itself. Or rather, gave the illusion that it was far faster than light itself as it cut through her throat.


    The poor young girl... did not even see how she died. Meanwhile, Esthernded down gracefully, her expressionless face gaining emotions once again.


    A tinge of panic hidden within.


    "Still as fiesty as ever, I see." David appeared behind her, hugging her from behind, then tightened his grip. "But I thought we talked about this, Esther."


    His words caused more panic to sh before her eyes, followed by regret.


    "I... I... I apologize." Esther lowered her head and meekly apologized. David sighed then watched the young girl''s corpse andter shook his head, "She''s dead, she''s dead. Just keep your calm next time, love. Or Damien won''t be happy."


    "Yes." Esther nodded. She was the number one assassin, and the most calm. Unfortunately, at times, that calmness could be tested, and she would lose it in mere instants.


    The couple then turned around to leave, but the same annoying, arrogant voice from before appeared. "You... you... YOU MURDERERS. HOW COULD YOY??!!" She screamed at them from the top of her lungs.


    Woosh~


    mes kicked up a small storm, as the young girl''s head and body burned into mes. The mes then gathered at the same ce, and once the mes burned out, revealed her perfectly intact voluptuous figure.


    "..."


    "..."


    Meanwhile, the gray couple stared in shock. David subconsciously adding momentster, "She''s dead, she''s dead... I guess not anymore."


    Esther nodded at those words.

 Chapter 60 The Little Snitch

    ?Back within Falsari.


    It has been over three weeks since Damien had visited this ce. And on this very day, Flint had visited him and presented to him artifacts at the Unique level.


    He was shy and nervous, looking forward to Damien''s appraisal of his work. As for Damien himself, he was shocked and found it hard to believe that everything before him was of Unique grade and above.


    He picked the first one, and decided it would go first. Of course, most of these artifacts had their own owners, and he would not waste his time on them for now.


    [ Hell Piecer ]


    [ Godly. A Spear forged by the me Demiurge to kill gods and ughter devils. It was forged using a unique Hammerfist devil''s Spear-headed ws, a demon glint... ]


    [ This is a Spear meant to cause devastation and bloodshed wherever it goes. It is full of miasma and pure killing intent that holding such weapon, gives one qualifications to fight for the throne of a demon king, and gain a portion of hell''s deific authority. Wielding this Spear allows one to slowly refine their source into Demonic Power, an evil equivalent of Holy Power and Divine Power. Depending on the talent, the refinement might range from Bronze grade, to the highest Gold grade ]


    [ Has the Unique Abilities; "Soul Oblivion", "Demonic Union" and "Demon Summon" ]


    [ A nefarious treasure ]


    "..."


    Damien went through everything, and was genuinely impressed. The fact that he could refine his Mana into Demonic power was insane. Just that alone was top tier.


    And he knew his potential was high. Then there was faith from the pixies, that he could use to refine his Mana into Divine power. Unfortunately, he could not take both methods.


    He had no methods of bing a demonic god. Unless he was a natural born demon, with Innate Demonic power, and a faith source from mortals.


    He then checked out the Abilities of this Spear, and what use they were to the current him. And if they are better than the Innate effects of the Spear.


    [ Soul Oblivion: An Ability that absorbs the souls of in gods, devils, demons, angels, spirits etc and transfers them into the spear''s power. The more in opponents, the more souls it absorbs, the more powerful the user and the spear will be. The weakest demigod soul gives out 0,1% increase to the user''s stats ]


    "..."


    This Ability... was indeed nefarious. Suitable to be within a Spear that seemingly represented a portion of hell''s authority.


    And knowing the levels of gods, wouldn''t killing the strongest of then exceed a boost such as doubling his stats? And what about killing those ancient entities currently hiding?


    [ Demonic Union: Within this state, attain a form of hell that requires a million units of Mana to keep active. Within this form, all your stats are increased by twenty times each, and are reshuffled to suit those of a demon king of ughter. Souls absorbed through "Soul Oblivion" increase its effects by two times ]


    "..."


    Another monstrous Ability that Damien had no idea how it came to pass. Even Flint had no idea, as no answer came after Damien interrogated him. And they resonated.


    [ Demon Summon: The Kings of Hell can summon entire units of demons to serve them. As someone who holds a portion of the demon King''s authority, you can summon ten demons of the same level to serve you. All demons shall respect you after you show your authority. The number of demons summoned double per Rank up, and increase by a thousand once you attain your demon form through "Demon Union". Under the banner of a demon king, the effects of "Soul Oblivion" increase by 1% ]


    "..."


    Damien was now beyond surprise, and went through everything with a stoic mindset.


    Out of all treasures, only about ten belonged to him, and automatically, Juliette. Then out of those, [Wraith Embrace], [Bracelets of Mava-Mana] and the [Ring of Promises] belonged to Juliette.


    From the others, [Hell Piecer], [Mask of Gray], [Void Keeper], [Devil Gown], [Wings of Endless Ash], [Elemental Nine-ws] and [Death God''s Armament] belonged to him.


    The rest would be stored within Juliette''s [Ring of Promises] for keep sake. If something came up, they could use them.


    Damien thought up to there, and then faced Flint,menting with satisfaction. "Well done. I''m damn impressed at your work. Honestly, you outdid my expectations."


    Flint bloomed at that response, as his eyes shone with pride. It was as if Damien was not the same man that bashed him up and destroyed his vige a week or so ago.


    "Thank you sir!!" He bowed in excitement, as he dreamed of hearing that response ever since he was a kid. Especially from his master. But now, from Damien.


    "Don''t mention it." Damien said, then waited for a bit. Flint waited with him, but wanted to say something. Yet he never did speak, afraid to say something stupid.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Momentster, Fou knocked on the door, snd Damien casually replied, "You can enter."


    As for how he knew it was her, it was because his senses had been greatly increased. He could easily tell who wasing as long as they were within a five meter range around him.


    "Please excuse us." Fou said, then entered the room. She bowed slightly to both men within, then sat besides Flint, who sat before Damien. Fin sat inbetween both of them.


    "Any response?" Damien asked her. And Fou respectfully nodded. Even Fin was a tiny bit respectful towards him.


    During the week or so, Damien trained the people here in terms ofbat sports. He was a natural born prodigy when it came to such activities.


    Beings here were demigods, with only one god, Fez, their ancestor. They breeded within themselves, and hence kept their Bloodline pure at all times.


    Only Fin and Flint had half parents outside of the settlement, yet nobody knew that. Not even Fou, or Fez himself. For their parents, were terrifyingly proficient at their job.


    But theycked genuine fighting capabilities. They had strength, speed, potential and the likes, butcked any way they could unleash it to its peak.


    But then came Damien. When it came tobat and magic, he was a genius in both. Though he himself never learned any spells in this lifetime, he did teach those that were capable here.


    He also taught them sorcery, witchcraft and the likes, depending on their sses and such. In just less than ten days, the vige had grown exponentially.


    Even little Fin had the chance to learn about the swordsmanship that she loved dearly. She now knew a thing or two in terms of sword y. Adding her strength and speed, she could actually y a young dragon.


    That was not an exaggeration. She was also a full fledged natural demigod. One with a unique background, and Bloodline to her.


    "We are willing to follow you, my lord." Fou respectfully said, and bowed once again. Fin followed, and Flint also hastily bowed after them.


    Damien saw nothing wrong with that, nor them calling him lord. He nodded, then presented them the barrels of faith, and the Teleportation scrolls.


    He had ten barrels. He would give these guys seven barrels, which would be enough for the current them to jump to godhood. Especially this family here.


    They were the real deal.


    "Thank you, my lord." Fou said, hiding away the excitement within her tone. Even Flint was excited, but little Fin did not yet understand the importance of faith yet.


    As everyone were gods here, none had believers, hence none knew how faith felt like. But they always knew how helpful faith was to their progress to godhood.


    "Thats good, you should all prepare. Meanwhile, I''ll be going east. There''s something there that I want." Damien said, and two of the three''s expressions immediately fell apart. Flint and little Fin.


    Flint was disappointed that Damien would not be joining them. While Fin dreaded that without Damien, there would be no more swordsmanship training for her.


    Damien ignored their expressions and told Fou. "Once you arrive, look for a woman called Juliette. Tell her I''ll be back a bitte, but nheless, I''ll return."


    "If she shows any sadness... tell her I''ve got gifts for her. That should shut her up quickly." Damien said, and Fou seemed curious to know who this Juliette was.


    She could already tell that she was special to Damien, and they had a peculiar rtionship together. She just never mentioned it, afraid of guessing wrongly.


    What if they were just siblings?


    "Then it''s done. I''ll be leaving tomorrow morning." Damien said, then chased them out of his temporary house. Even the dissatisfied Fin had to leave.


    The night went by, and the next morning, Damien stood before the vige and left after a few pleasantries with the others.


    The whole vige waved him off, and watched as he left. Meanwhile, Fou was searching everywhere for her soul mate, and her adopted daughter.


    She ended up finding her daughter in the midst of packing, and after being caught, the little girl burst out with tears and information... telling Fou everything she and Flint nned.


    "..."

 Chapter 61 Stones Of Evolution I

    ?Fou was enraged. Unfortunately, both mother and daughter were yed, as Flint never had any intentions of leaving with Fin. Fou would kill him, if he did... literally at that.


    Hence he packedst night, and left exactly at that time. He was already ahead of Damien, far from where the make shift camp was made. There was not enough time to catch up at this point.


    "FLIIIIIINT!!!" Fou roared out in anger, as her hair exploded out into mes, that lit up the morning sky. Fa''ar sighed, and rubbed his temples in frustration.


    Frey chuckled at everything, and Fez was expressionless. The mischievous Fuhrughed at the situation, not holding back at all. Not even under Fa''ar''s intense re.


    Meanwhile, Flint heard his beloved''s wrath, and hurriedly ran forward. He was not going to risk anything. Especially when he knew he was soft against her words.


    "Well... aren''t you daring enough." Suddenly a daring voice resounded throughout his environment, and the young man looked up, finding Damien floating above him with his [Wings of Ash].


    "Ah... sir." Flint called out in bitterness. But he steeled his heart snd shamelessly asked, "Sir, I''m willing to follow you and be your follower. Please allow me."


    Unfortunately, the reply was fast to arrive. "No." Damien said, then flew forward at his full speed. From behind, a trail of zing mes was headed their way.


    "Shit." Flint cussed and burst off at full speed as well. Then a trail of gray and red lights shed at light speed, and disappeared into the distance.


    Momentster, Fou appeared at this area, her body zing with orange mes that were hotter and denser than the mes within the sun''s core.


    ''He really... left.'' She thought, her mes deactivating and revealing her divine figure. Fin, who was held within a rolled nket, was held inbetween her arms, struggling and squirming with might.


    "Stop struggling." Fou said. She was depressed that her beloved left her without a goodbye. "From today onwards, you shall recite the <re Scribble>, day in, day out."


    ...!!!


    Fin paused at that response, them momentster, began struggling as if her life depended on it. If she was not gagged, she would be screaming out in despair.


    ''Big brother. BIG BROTHEEEERRR!!'' She cried within her thoughts, to no avail. There was no way Flint could hear her. And even if he could, there was a very low chance he would daree.


    "..."


    Fou ignored the heavily struggling Fin, and moved on towards the vige. She still had to go back and do the preparations of moving out.


    As well as how she would deal withdy Juliette. This woman was definitely a beautiful and powerful goddess, if Damien could fancy her. She thought to herself.


    Meanwhile, Damien and Flint flew through the morning sky at light speed. Both their figures were shing forward like two trails of light.


    As for how could Damien travel at such speed, it was because of the [Wings of Ash] that he wore on his back. This thing was genuinely amazing.


    [ Wings of Ash ]


    [ Unique. A weapon forged by the me Demiurge from the wings of an angel, a holy prescribe, a superior artifact... ]


    [ A pair of wings that were bathed in the blood of a unique existence, and corrupted. This is an artifact with a Will of its own, that will allow anyone that it deems fit, to travel at light speed for a short duration of time. If the being could already traverse at light speed, the wings boost their speed by fifty times more. These are wings of Ash, and allow one to obtain minor mastery towards the foreign Universal Law of Ash. The stronger the user, the greater the range of the Universal Law ]


    [ Has the Unique Abilities; "God of Ash", "Angel of Death" and "False Fallen" ]


    [ A devastating essory ]


    It was like that. And though Damien could only travel at light speed for ten seconds, he could still travel a great distance, as most gods won''t even catch up to him.


    Then Flint. He could easily do the same with his Unique Abilities and ss Abilities, if properly used together to their peak. But even for him, it was short lived.


    After ten seconds, Damien stopped, thennded down on arge boulder. Flint alsonded besides him.


    They had crossed over a million miles, and had no idea where they were. Or rather, Flint had no idea where they were, but Damien did.


    He knew where he was going from the Falsarians. It was towards the few locations around here that had rare resources for him to scavenge.


    The first being the Stones of Evolution. A rare material that could be used to evolve beasts and monsters, or even Abilities and Spells. And for him, he needed it for thetter two.


    In his previous timeline, during the era of gods, someone appeared here and found around tens of these stones for himself.


    He used a few, then sold the rest for other resources. These stones were so rare, that at that time, even gods fought entire guilds and organizations for them.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    And now, Damien was going to hoarde them all for himself, and his family. That included the Gray House within, and... Flint''s family. If there were enough of them.


    He still remembered their brotherhood from back then. And him approaching them, meant he was not willing to throw everything away.


    "I''ll be going in down there." Damien said, pointing towards a dark entrance before them. It was so dark, it gave out the misconception of devouring light itself.


    "..."


    Flint gulped his saliva and took another nce towards the entrance. He had no idea why they should be going there, or why it was even necessary to go there.


    "You can run along back if you want." Damien added with yfulness in his tone, then jumping towards the entrance without a second thought.


    "..."


    Flint stood there for a while and weighed the pros and cons. Momentster, he came to agree that going in there would be better than facing Fou''s wrath, and reading the <re Scribble> day in, day out.


    ''It shouldn''t be that bad... should it?'' He thought, and jumped after Damien. On the way, he lit a ball of me above his palm, and rushed behind Damien.


    "..."


    Damien did not say anything and just kept walking deeper into the cave. In this lifetime, he had but a single goal. To take everyone he loves to the peak.


    Of course, not everyone will reach his desired peak. But he will make sure that they at least try, and shall be recorded in the anals of history... no matter what!!


    The duo kept walking deeper and deeper into the cave, and at some point, appeared within an opening. Damien warned, "You should be careful. Battles are unavoidable from here."


    "..."


    Flint did not say anything, and only wore a pair of red gloves, that burst into mes when he willed it. He did his best and transformed them to godly artifacts as well.


    They were his birth treasure made by his master. The materials were found by Fa''ar and Fez. Meant a lot to him.


    Damien knew that, and did notment. He himself folded the wings on his back with professionalism, as if he once had wings.


    He then took out the [Null de], and activated its effects. As a Unique artifact, it was easy to do that with his billions of units of Mana.


    As for who this artifact belongs to; it was Sixth, the number sixth ranked Assassin within the Gray House. And since Damien was not afraid of him (respectfully-wise), he had no qualms using it beforehand.


    Plus, he needed it.


    [ Null de ]


    [ Unique. An artifact forged by the me Demiurge using a Null Fragment, a wisp of space, mes of extinction... ]


    [ This is a de that brings everything to nothingness. It cuts down everything, including space itself. Gods are helpless against its effect. Has the passive effect of being capable of anti-eliminating anything that it touches, as long as the energy supplied is twice that of the targeted Ability or Spell or Technique etc ]


    [ Has the Unique Abilities; "Back To Nothingness", "Domain of Oblivion" and "Ashes To Ashes" ]


    [ A fine work~ ]


    Damien went through the definition, and once he was done, warned Flint once again. "There''ll be a great mob up ahead. Without enough stamina, and strength, you might get swallowed up."


    He then held the Null de by his left hand and dashed forward, shattering the sound barrier. Flint panicked slightly at the sudden charge, and immediately chased after.


    Boom!!


    Boom!!


    Two consecutive sonic booms rang out as both superhuman and supernatural dashed through the dark, endless narrow passage of the cave.


    And as they ran, after a few minutes, Damien suddenly held his hand over the Null de''s hilt. This action caused the amateur demigod to be tense and nervous.


    Yet even then, he still could not react in time.

 Chapter 62 Stones Of Evolution II

    ?Experience. It was a topic that people often used Some have it. Some don''t. But they would all agree that it was necessary.


    To some, it was useless, as they were natural born talents with godly intuitions. Juliette was one such case. She exchanged experience for her intuition.


    Her intuition was so great, even experienced monsters like Damien had to admit it. It allowed her to match up her tempo with him, despite her inexperience.


    While some were different. They did not have it. Nor did they have terrifying intuitions that could be exchanged for it.


    For example: A man with experience could take out an inexperienced demigod. Of course, if they were at the same level of power, such a scenario was possible.


    But overall, having experience in something, was a great power point for anyone. Be it god, or mortal. For without it, one could not bring about their potential to its peak.


    And because of that, they wouldg greatly within this world. One such person... was Flint Falsar. The young and inexperienced demigod.


    Yet even then, he still could not react in time. For as they were still running, Damien pulled the de out if it''s scabbard, and swung it above Flint''s head.


    Woosh~


    The swift motion of the sword cut through the air, like cutting through butter. Followed by a warm bloody shower that sprayed on thetter''s face.


    The sudden urrence caused Flint to subconsciously stop, but Damien had long stopped as well. He knew that no normal person would just let that pass.


    "Heads up." He said, and Flint was speechless. He never sensed anything until the very end. Meaning that if not for Damien, he could have... died.


    Not really.


    "Thank you." He said, but Damien waved his hand a him. "Don''t thank me, and just keep your head up, and your fists ready to bash. A god should be more egoistic."


    "H-How?" Flint asked. From Damien''s character, he guessed that the answer would not optimistic for him. But contrary to his expectation, Damien actually taught him how.


    "Rx your breathe." Damien said, and Flint subconsciously followed. He then added, "Extend your senses. To borate, imagine what is before you, besides you, and behind you at the same time."


    "Picture it in your mind, then focus. Picture and focus. It doesn''t have to be exact, but just picture what a dark cave looks like, then focus on telling the difference." He concluded.


    Flint nodded, and did as he was told.


    He spread out his awareness, and from his mind eye, could see the cave as he imagined. It was dark, rocky and damp... as far as his imagination could run.


    But then, as he focused on the vision, everything began to slowly warp. Ever so slowly, the vision he had was reced by the genuine open space he was in.


    It was still a cave, but had more space within. In fact, it was better to call it a tunnel. It''s width was over a hundred meters, and its height above a hundred meters.


    It then stretched on ahead for miles on end. Flint could see through all that. The feeling was amazing. It was like he got nocturnal sight and far vision!!


    "I see..." Flintmented, as he felt like his vision was opened up. From there, he could now see the little critters that hid within the walls, waiting to ambush anybody unlucky enough to walk by.


    They were green skinned, and around a meter in height. They were quite ugly. Flint was naturally optimistic, and saw beauty in everything, but this... this was just in ugly.


    Their noses were long, and in some cases, crooked. They hadrge pimples on their faces, some one, some two or even three in others.


    They also had bulging small bellies, and wore only loincloth. They were savage, ugly and easily detestable. Flint frowned as he realized that he was bathed with the blood of this creature.


    "Goblins. Lurking Goblins to be precise." Damien said, then slightly pushed Flint forward. "Go. Rush forward and eliminate as you see fit. They are not a threat."


    "What?" Flint looked back in shock, and Damien did not sugarcoat his words even then. "I won''t repeat myself."


    "..."


    Flint kept quiet and then rushed forward, kicking up a sonic boom once again. Damien followed after him, a few meters back.


    Flint being aware of that, sighed in relief and decided to let loose. He kicked off the ground again, and a burst of mes pushed him further ahead at greater speed.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Boom!!


    He charged forward, and up ahead, one of the goblins prepared to attack him. They were not as fast as him, but were definitely smart enough to time their movements.


    They moved carefully and much earlier, making sure to reach the target when they arrived. And the one goblin ahead, also moved at this very moment.


    Ha!!


    Flint let out a wild battle cry, as his fist was cloaked in mes. He then threw a left hook punch towards the goblin, shattering its head instantly.


    ''I did it.'' He thought in joy, but Damien''s voice cooled all his joy down. "Dont use too much strength. The might of a god transcends that of a mortal. Don''t be hasty."


    He said, and Flint nodded.


    The next goblin they came across, Flint still mistakenly burst its head into a bloody meat paste. Damien frowned and admonished, "Use less strength. Until you kill a goblin using two punches, I am not through with you."


    Flint slightly panicked at Damien''s tone, but steeled himself to do as told. They then rushed forward, and Flint did all the killing of the goblins they came across.


    It took him almost forty goblins till hepletely, killed one with two punches. It was a left hook, followed by a powerful right jab, hence ending its life.


    Flint was happy, yet not overexcited. He knew that Damien was not satisfied by that. And indeed he was not. "Next time, try killing it with two punches, yet not bursting its head into meat paste."


    "Yes." Flint nodded, and this time, it took him only less than twenty goblins till he did as instructed. Yet even then, he knew more wasing.


    Damien was training him how to control his strength. Flint believed that. "Next, kill it with one punch, and don''t shatter its face, nor body. Do it cleanly."


    "Yes!!" Flint responded, a bit excited for the challenge this time. And a challenge, it truly was, for it took him over a hundred goblin kills to achieve that little instruction.


    A total of over a hundred, including the sixty or so he previously killed. But at the end, he seeded. "Huff... Huff...Huff..." The young man paused, breathing heavily.


    They had been running at constant sonic speed for an hour or so now. And adding the punches and mental strain, of course he would be tired. Especially as Flint was still an amateur demigod.


    "Very good. You did excellent." Damien praised, and patted Flint''s shoulders. Flint smiled happily, and took the praise with pride. "Thank you, sir. I did my best."


    "Its Damien." Damien said, then added for rification. "Call me Damien from now on. And to add, I am not a god. Never been one. And you should not mistaken me for one."


    "Huh?" Flint looked up in surprise. He was not there when Damien introduced himself to the others, hence was not aware that Damien was just a human.


    Well, even the others had no idea what a human was, and thought it was a different breed of gods. Like themselves. Nobody could me them.


    The history of humanity was less than a century old here. And the Falsarians, were probably over a trillion miles away from the human settlement. Damien had to use a bunch of teleportation scrolls to cover the distance.


    "Call me Damien." Damien emphasized out of a good heart, and Flint respectfully nodded his head. "Yes, sir Damien."


    "..."


    Damien kept quiet, then a momentter, stood up. "We are moving on." He said, his tone hiding a hint of dissatisfaction within.


    Flint looked up in shock, not knowing what he did nor said wrong. But he could only follow the instructions given to him, and the duo rushed forward killing goblin after goblin.


    They were only a few First League goblins, and most were on the lower end. It was not that much of a big deal. But their numbers were in the thousands.


    Probably almost in the tens of thousands even. Yet the duoid waste of them in just less than half a day of work.


    The duo paused at the end of the tunnel, and Flint took inrge breathes of air. He did not rx knowing that Damien could just say, lets move on anytime.


    But once again, contrary to his expectation, Damien told him to rx. He then pulled back a few miles, and began knocking on the walls with the hilt of the Null de.

 Chapter 63 A Newborn Realm

    ?Flint did not know what was going on, but rested for a while. With his newfound senses, he was not afraid of any ambushes or the likes, andpletely rxed himself.


    Meanwhile, Damien knocked on the walls until he heard a hollow sound. And at this moment, the notifications from The Primordial Source appeared.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ You have eliminated 4 492 Tier 0 goblins. You have obtained 5,841 units of Life Essence. The obtained Life Essence has been halfed due to the Rank difference ]


    [ You have eliminated 617 Tier 1 goblins. You have obtained 1,727 units of Life Essence ]


    [ You have eliminated 212 Tier 2 goblins. You have obtained 1,484 units of Life Essence. The obtained Life Essence has been doubled due to the Rank difference ]


    [ You have eliminated 39 Tier 3 goblins. You have obtained 684 units of Life Essence. The obtained Life Essence has been quadrupled due to the Rank difference ]


    [ You have obtained 3,451 units of Life Essence (Shared amongst your Bloodline) ]


    [ You have obtained 1,725 units of Life Essence (Shared amongst your soul mate) ]


    "..."


    Damien went through everything, and in total, had over ten thousand units of Life Essence. He still did not level up though, even though that had no problems to his future.


    From Flint and his knowledge, he realized that gods or stronger beings innately recover their levels to the power they could unleash. A peak demigod like Flint, was now level 85.


    But that was not bad, for he obtained the free stats, free ability points, and oriented points that he would have received were he to Level up from level 6, to level 85.


    And these were in terms of a Hidden ss. The rewards were abundant and numerous. It would be the same, were Juliette and Damien to Level up even without sses.


    The moment they obtained their sses, they would also obtain the rewards as well. Or so he, himself thought it would be like that.


    "..."


    He immediately disregarded those thoughts and took out <Andromeda>. He found what he was looking for, and going ahead, would be nothing but suicidal for him.


    He bashed the wall using Andromeda, and his own Abilities, shattering it down immediately. Within, it revealed a small narrow passage that would lead him to another areapletely.


    Unfortunately, even Damien himself was not aware of the fact that the world had just secretly underwent another semi-evolution. One that The Primordial Source thought would be interesting.


    Hence... more Mysteries and Wonders would beid before him. And many things he knew, would be shattered and renewed.


    Completely.


    The question now, just only came to whether Damien would dare push on, or pull back. But at this point, we all know what our little daredevil would do... right?


    Damien paused before entering the new entrance, then called out to Flint. "I''ll be in here if you need me." He then entered with careful, steady steps.


    "..."


    Flint froze sitting on the same floor he had been sitting on the past few minutes. Momentster, he hastily picked himself up and chased after Damien''s figure.


    Like hell he would stay here.


    It was too dark!!


    Meanwhile, Damien walked into the new entrance without any fear. And it did not take long before he arrived within apletely new world.


    "..."


    The area was open, and vast. Its size was immeasurable. Or so Damien thought it was as such, due to his low realm and insignificant size. And within the ce, were colorful stones embedded within the walls.


    In some areas, were Pools of clear golden springs. Each spring containing immense Mana. Most being small springs spanning hundreds of meters, and others spanning a range of miles in diameters.


    There was also gold, silver, bronze and diamond. And they were abundant in numbers. Damien stood there shocked, andpletely bbergasted.


    But more shocking, would be the colorful stones he was looking for, which were in the thousands in numbers. It was unknown whether it was because of this new timeline, or if the person from his timeline lied, but the stones were hundreds of times more.


    [ TING!! ]


    [ You are the first to discover an Inheritable newborn Realm. You have been awarded 100 units of Life Essence as a reward ]


    [ To obtain all rights for this Realm, you are to go against a special trial designed for the Lord of the Realm ]


    [ Would you like to go through the trials? ]


    Damien paused, and read through everything. Trials here, trials there. He was tired of these dammed trials everywhere. Was The Primordial Source just bored?


    But things were not over for him.


    [ The trial has resonated with your Pixie Race''s "Wish Trials" ]


    [ The Primordial Source has fused both trials, and a resonation has urred. Would you like to check out the information of the new trial? ]


    Well damn. He had no choice now.


    "..."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Damien''s face contorted. This was bad. Every wish trial had a Rank above that of the other, in terms of challenge.


    And since he passed the [Child of Inferno] Trial, which the opponent was a demigod, the next trial would definitely be against a lesser god. But that would change now.


    With the two trials resonating, one having a Realm as a reward, the opponent would definitely be a greater god. Just that alone was dreadful enough.


    But he had no choice anymore.


    [ 2. Realm King ]


    [ Details: The newly born unnamed Realm has appeared, and you are to take charge and own it up. This shall push you closer to making your wishe true, as this Realm alone, shall be a major turning point of humanity once owned by a human ]


    [ Defeat the Realm Administrator (greater deity), and take Valha under your rulership. This is a First Stage Realm, and has many wonders that can not be found within any worlds located within Reality. Yet the Realm Administrator is quite ruthless, and greedy. It desires the Realm all for itself. Kill it, and swallow its Realm Core ]


    [ Reward: Mythical Epithet(¡Á1), A Thousand Units of Pure Reified Divine Power(Absorbable) ]


    "..."


    Damien froze for the nth time today.


    The rewards, were a bit too appetizing. Just the first one gave him a god-grade Epithet. While the second one gave him vast reserves of energy of the gods.


    If absorbed by mortals... could be Trillions, or even Quadrillions of units of Mana!! That was a godsend opportunity. Unfortunately, to have that much Mana, he needed a unique Physique of his own.


    "..."


    Flint was unaware of the emotions Damien was going through, nor their reasons. But to him, everything here was a treasure, hence he had the same expression of conflictions.


    He knew that thisnd was definitely owned. And by a terrifying entity that was no weaker than them, if not stronger than the both of thembined.


    Damien besides him sighed, then asked him, "Did you recover your full strength in ordance to your Realm?"


    "Yes." Flint responded. When he found Damien, his strength was only that of what he normally had. But after the battle, he had aplished the hidden requirement to obtain all the oriented stats of his Hidden ss.


    And his strength was now multiple Leagues greater than that of Damien. In fact, the current him could kill Damien with a mere punch. Unfortunately, he was not aware of that.


    He thought of his Temte, and it appeared before him. Damien also saw through it because Flint never hid its information from anyone.


    "..."


    [ Name: Flint Falsar ]


    [ Mana: ¡ª (Infinite) ]


    [ Epithet(3): me Forger(Myth-1), Child of mes(Myth-1), Anomaly(??) ]


    [ ss: Lvl 85 Creation Sun ]


    [ Sub-ss: Lvl 0 me Demiurge ]


    [ Life Essence: 1,000 ]


    [Alignment: Lawful Good ]


    [ Stats: STR - 13 150,0 || AGI - 180,0 || END - 540,0 || WIS - 560,0 || INT - 570,0 || AFF - 1 000,0 ]


    [ Stat Points: 1 || Ability Points: 680 ]


    [ Ultimate Abilities(1): Hell-Craftsman(1) ]


    [ Unique Abilities(3): Divine Creativity(3), Supernatural Strength(1), Hell Fire Maniption(5) ]


    [ Extra Abilities(7): Great Artisan(7), Craft Improvisation(2), Expanded Force(1), Power Body(1), Hell me Physiology(7), Fire Resistance(10), me Control(9) ]


    [ Techniques: me God''s Brutal Arts(Unique) ]


    [ Physique: Hell-borne zing Physiology(Unique) ]


    [ ss Abilities(10): Cosmic Sun me, Creation Key, zing War God, Hellion Domain, Sun Embodiment, Annihtory mes, Ancient Anvil, zing True Elemental, Apollyon Domain, Essence of Destruction ]


    [ Equipment(3): Fists of ze(Godly), Hell-borne Armor(Unique), Storage Ring(Tier 4) ]


    [ Inventory(1): Luggage Bag(¡Á1) ]


    Flint went through his Temte, and Damien also briefed through it. And the onlyment he had, was that Flint was terrifyingly powerful in terms of stats.


    Just his strength alone was worth over tens of millions of tons. Butpared to a full fledged experienced greater god, that was nothing.


    Adding on the Realm Suppression effects, his strength was over a thousand times more powerful than that of Flint himself.


    "Not bad." Damienmented with a nod. Compared to those from his timeline, this was definitely an overkill, but something was wrong. "Have you truly recovered your full strength?"


    Damien pursued the matter, and Flint hurriedly nodded. "Yes, sir Damien, I have. All my current strength, and those from my ss." He added.

 Chapter 64 The Realm Guardian I

    ?Damien frowned but did not say anything. He knew that Flint was supposed to be far stronger than this. But then again, when they met, Flint was already a god, and it was years into the future.


    The guy was still 18 years old now, and a newbie at best, when it came to godhood and the likes. Plus, he had yet to fuse with his inner consciousness.


    "Alright." Damien said, then looked up. Flint also followed his gaze, and up, they saw a ck cacoon suspended upside down.


    Flint did not think much about Damien''s doubt, and just brushed it off as his high expectations. But he definitely did think much about what he was looking at right now.


    ''Is that... a cocoon?'' He thought, for the cocoon seemed to be made up of thick membrane and flesh, and at most parts, was scaly. It''s ck color only making it seem more... repulsive?


    He thought, not being able to clearly pin his thoughts on what he was looking at.


    Damien himself also seemed out of ce as he stared at the creature. Unlike Flint, he had a Unique Skill that allowed him to see the truth of a lot of things by deciphering information out of them.


    [Wisdom Eye (Unique)]


    He used it, and obtained information about the target. And as a Unique Skill, used with more Mana requirements than usual due to the level gap, he obtained the information he was looking for.


    [ Name: No. 0 ]


    [ Divine power: ¨C ]


    [ Epithet: Realm Administrator(Myth-2) ]


    [ ss: Lvl 135 Realm Guardian (Low Divine - Unawakened) ]


    [ Sub-ss: None ]


    [ Life Essence: 0 ]


    [Alignment: Neutral ]


    [ Stats: STR - 160,0 || AGI - 155,0 || END - 160,0 || WIS - 160,0 || INT - 155,0 || AFF - 155,0 ]


    [ Stat Points: 0 || Ability Points: 0 ]


    [ Ultimate Abilities: None ]


    [ Unique Abilities: None ]


    [ Extra Abilities: None ]


    [ ss Abilities: None ]


    [ Equipment: None ]


    [ Resources: None ]


    Damien went through the Temte, and was d that it had no Skills. But with its League and incalcble Divine power, it could still easily y around with them.


    "...You should go test it out." He said to Flint, who looked back at him in shock. "Me?" He asked back with a little starter.


    Damien shrugged his shoulders and added, "You''re just giving it a try. If it''s too much, we pull back. And if by any chance, we do win, I''m willing to give you 50% rights of ownership."


    "..."


    Flint paused and took yet another nce at what he was about to go up against. He swallowed his saliva at the idea of fighting a god as powerful as this.


    "It''s not really a god." Damien said from the sidelines as if he was reading Flint''s thoughts, the he added, "And, if you win, there''s a high chance you will obtain another Mythical Epithet, and a chance of godhood. Think about it."


    Heid out baits after baits, and the fragile heart of Flint could not take it anymore. He took a deep breathe, and walked deeper into the newly formed Realm.


    "..."


    Meanwhile, Damien watched with a null gaze. He had already prepared two teleportation scrolls for when the situation is definitely not on their side.


    ~~~


    The Realm Guardian suspended itself upside down. It''s sharp ck ws grabbing tightly onto the sharp shard pointing downwards, growing on the ceiling.


    It''s eyes were closed, and it''s breathe was held. From a far perspective, one would not tell that it was a living being.


    "..."


    It was an entity that was just born moments ago, not having any knowledge prior about the world it was born in, or anything about itself, nor its environment.


    All it knew was that it was born within a miraculousnd, that needed to be protected. And it''s very purpose, was to protect thend it was born in.


    A very simple notion, for a being just recently born. One might even say that, it made sense.


    Hence it waited.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Protection was a simple job, yet from a different perspective, was also quite not that simple. For one can only protect when there was danger, or a need to protect.


    Without danger, there was no need for protection, hence no need for its purpose. Yet danger came in all forms and sizes, and most importantly, was unpredictable.


    And when there is no danger, did not mean that the guardian could beid back. They had to always be cautious of anything around, for danger can appear at any given moment, and any given form.


    Fortunately, the Realm Guardian did not have to wait for a very long time before danger arrived. It did not even have to wait a few hours.


    "..."


    It''s eyes slowly opened, revealing a pair of dark red pupils that had no emotions contained within. None at all.


    Following that, it spread out its arms, revealing a pair of wings so grand, they spanned for tens of meters in length, spreading out its glory.


    Meanwhile, the danger itself was in the form of a red haired young man. He walked over cautiously, while admiring the size and grandiosity of the opponent.


    He wore a red-ck leather armor, that had illusoryva flowing within. He also had a pair ofpletely ckbat gloves that sizzled with smoke as if frying his hands.


    "Okay, Flint. You can do this. You definitely can." The young man hyped himself up, and prepared to face the attacks from a god.


    The Realm Guardian loosened it''s grip on the shard suspended on the ceiling, and pped it''s wings, creating a partial wind storm within the sky.


    It''s size was grand, though a bit repulsive, it was grand. It lowered its center of gravity, andnded a few tens of meters away from the red haired young man.


    "..."


    "..."


    Both dragon and man stared at each other, vignce and caution within each other''s gaze. Yet one also had killing intent mixed within their gaze.


    ''This might take a while.'' The young man thought to himself, as he decided he would take the lead and charge over first. After all, a stare off meant nothing here.


    He kicked off the floor and charged over at super sonic speed, being hundreds of times faster than sound itself.


    Boom!!


    But the opponent was faster, as immediately when the sound barrier was shattered, was also when arge thick tail collided heavily with the young man.


    ''Urgh..!!''


    He spat out a mouthful of blood at the collision, and his body was sent flying back like a baseball hit by a professional baseball yer.


    Bang!!


    The young man flew through miles, and crashed heavily onto the wall, shattering it into web-like cracks that spread all over its surface. ''That hurt...'' He thought.


    His defense value was slightly over half a million. While the damage value of the opponent was four million units. Take into the effects of a second ranked Mythical Epithet, it would more than double to ten million damage value.


    Hence the young man suffered a damage value of almost nine and half million. Even as a demigod, that was a lot of damage to take in, and still survive.


    ''First showdown, and I''m already battered up, and in a mess.'' The young man thought, as he willed his Temte to distribute some of his Ability Points.


    He spent twelve points to maximize [Power Body (Extra)] and [Hell me Physiology (Extra)]. Then spent an extra twenty points to elevate them both to Unique Abilities.


    [ Congrattions!! You have spent ten Ability Points to elevate


    to Unique Grade ]


    [ Congrattions!! You have spent ten Ability Points to elevate <Hell me Physiology> to Unique Grade ]


    With that done, he dumped in two hundred points, a hundred each, to max out both Abilities to the peak of Unique Grade, making them advanced Unique Abilities.


    Then with his infinite Mana, he activated both Abilities, and decided that they would help increase his overall stats greatly.


    [ Power Body (Advanced UNIQUE) :- An Ability that elevates the body of the target into that of a god. A body powered by the Universal Law of Power, increasing STR, AGI and END by one hundred and fifty times each, for a cost of over a thousand trillion of Mana per second or one thousand units of Divine power per second ]


    [ Hell me Physiology (Advanced UNIQUE) :- An Ability that awakens the Physiology of a demon king within you, supported by the Heinous Laws, and increasing all Stats excluding AFF, by a hundred times each. Requires over a thousand Trillions of Mana per second or one thousand units of Divine power per second ]


    The two of them together elevated his defense value by two hundred and fifty times. Hence going all the way up to over a hundred million defense values.


    ''Nice. Hopefully, I canst longer with this.'' He thought, and once again charged towards the Realm Guardian, which now felt a slight threating from him.


    Danger...


    And danger, had to be eliminated!!


    RRROOOAAAARR!!!


    It let out a powerful roar of might and fervor, which kicked up a powerful storm that sent the young man flying backwards like a bullet.


    Bang!!

 Chapter 65 Realm Guardian II

    ?He crashed heavily onto the same wall once again, deepening the web-like cracks even more, while sinking his body a meter into it. ''What... the hell?'' He thought, as he looked up at the Realm Guardian in shock.


    And what he saw, made his face turnpletely pale with fright.


    "..."


    But the Realm Guardian ignored that, as it inhaled arge puff of air, erging its chest, while causing it to glow a magma-like red color.


    ''Oh no, oh hell no... is that... is that a dragon''s breath?!'' The young man thought, and immediately tried to move himself off the wall, but to no avail. ''Ah, dammit... am I... ak i going to die?''


    He joked, as the Realm Guardian released a devastating dragon''s breathe upon him. It was white in color, and illuminated the dark Realm a shade of white.


    The young man, seeing the ever closing in dragon''s breathe, could not help but bitterly smile. ''But, to think about it... I''d take an infinite number of these, than to face Fou''s wrath any other day.''


    BOOM!!!


    The dragon''s breathe struck the wall, and resulted into an explosion so grand, it destroyed anything with a thousand miles square distance into dust.


    The destruction was way out of hand, as it was not something mere mortals could easily take into mind. Or bare at all.


    But the young man, was no mortal. Nor was he just an ordinary demigod. He was an anomaly like a certain somebody.


    Coughs could be felt from within therge cloud of smoke and dust, ones not sounding pained at all. Just annoyed, and irritated. And stuffy.


    And once the smokepletely cleared away, the young man could be seen waving his hand before his face, to wave off any remnant smoke and dust before him.


    His defense values were of course low, and under normal circumstances, would he have died. But under [Hell me Physiology (Advanced Unique)], it was increased by a hundred times.


    So, unless two of such dragon breaths fell upon him at the same time, he would not instantly die. Unfortunately, where would such a number of dragon breathese from?


    ''That was... suffocating.'' Hemented, looking towards the Realm Guardian with a hint of challenge in his tone. "Is this all that a god is made up of?"


    He wondered out loud to himself, but at this moment, a voice drifted from besides him. "Like I said, it is not a dragon. And you should be careful. It''s learning while it battles you."


    "..."


    The young man was first shocked, but then nodded a momentter. "Don''t worry, I''ll get serious now." He said, his fists zing out into hellish mes.


    With a light kick off the ground, he dashed forward at terrifying speeds. Being enhanced by two hundred fifty times, he was like a blur of red light to anyone watching.


    Even the Realm Guardian failed to react in time, and was met with a powerful punch on the chest. A force over a ten million tons smashing onto its chest.


    Bang!!


    And was sent flying back like a broken kite. The young man was surprised at his strength, and looked down on his fist. ''Was I... this strong?''


    His strength was already in the tens of millions, and being enhanced by two hundred and fifty times, made it transcend over a billion tons worth of strength.


    But yet even that... still failed to kill the Realm Guardian. It''s Myth Epithet decreased damage by ten percent, while the young man''s demigod level, was suppressed by a hundred times due to his Realm.


    Hence even with the boost to his strength, "It is still worth over twenty million. But how great is the Realm Guardian''s defense, if it could still take up to that?"


    The young man wondered to himself, yet was not aware of the fact that the Realm Guardian had been obtaining Abilities ever since the battle begun.


    And one of them... increased both physical, and magical defense values by fifty times.


    Damien watched the battle take ce from a far view. He was not strong enough to move on closer to the battle, as he might just mistakenly die from the shockwaves.


    But that aside, he was able to view everything even from where he stood. And one thing was for sure; Flint actually had more strength than the Realm Guardian.


    Of course, only because it had no Abilities or the likes. Especially physical type Abilities.


    "..."


    But even then, Flint was amazing, and his stats were still over the top. The moment he became a god, not even another god of the same level would match up to him then.


    Damien thought as he watched the battle continue. At this moment, the Realm Guardian had just released a devastating breathe attack that destroyed a thousand mile range.


    It was strange, considering the fact that it had no Abilities whatsoever. That was not something pure physical force could manage.


    He frowned wnd immediately used his Unique Skill once again, obtaining different information than the ones he obtained a few minutes ago.


    "..."


    [ Name: No. 0 ]


    [ Divine power: ¨C ]<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    [ Epithet: Realm Administrator(Myth-2) ]


    [ ss: Lvl 135 Realm Guardian (Low Divine) ]


    [ Sub-ss: None ]


    [ Life Essence: 0 ]


    [Alignment: Neutral ]


    [ Stats: STR - 3 200,0 || AGI - 2 480,0 || END - 4 160,0 || WIS - 2 480,0 || INT - 2 560,0 || AFF - 2 480,0 ]


    [ Stat Points: 0 || Ability Points: 540 ]


    [ Ultimate Abilities: None ]


    [ Unique Abilities(1): Dragon Physiology(1) ]


    [ Extra Abilities(2): Dragon Roar(1), Dragon Scale Armor(1) ]


    [ ss Abilities(4): Self Transcendence, Divine Beast Authority, Dimensional Lordship(Stctites), Personal Domain(Realm) ]


    [ Equipment: None ]


    [ Resources: None ]


    Damien immediately saw the difference. The Abilities aside, these guy awakened his ss and obtained the ss Abilities, and Higher stats than before.


    Worst of all, it also obtained the acquired Ability Points. If it, by any chance, learned how to use them, would they not be fucked?


    "..."


    Damien dreaded for Flint, but did nothing but watch. Well, that was his n, but now, he wanted to warn this guy about the Realm Guardian''s potential.


    He took out another one of the many artifacts he had, and checked its information using his Unique Skill, [Wisdom Eye].


    [ Devil Gown ]


    [ Unique. A unique gown made by the me Forger, out from the following materials; a superior artifact, a pseudo-unique product, ghost ashes, ... ]


    [ This is a gown unique to those who have a heart heartless enough to be considered demons. It allows one''s presence to be obscured from prying eyes, and from the Universal Principle of Karma. Not even those prominent in Karma within the 5th League can do anything to you. Devils are unrestrained by Karma, for their purpose was long dictated. Gives resistance to Universal Laws used by low ranked gods by 5% (Increases by 5% per rank up. Increases by 10% per League up till the peak of minor godhood) ]


    [ Has the following Unique Abilities; "Devil''s Shadow", "Devil King''s Armament" and "Beyond Karma" ]


    [ An ascendent achievement~ ]


    Damien went through its information, and then chose the Unique Ability he was currently looking for; "Devil''s Shadow".


    [ Devil''s Shadow: The shadow of a devil is unforseen. Theye and go as they pleased. This Ability allows the user to be the shadow of a devil, and be invincible to any being including minor leveled deities. The cost requires hundreds of millions of Mana to keep active every second ]


    He wore the cloak and activated the ability. He knew from the effects that he would onlyst for ten seconds or so. But that was more than enough.


    With that done, he rushed towards the cloud of dust and smoke using his wings, and arrived there in less than three seconds. He found Flint staring with challenge at the Realm Guardian.


    "Is this all that a god is made up of?" He wondered, not taking into consideration that he was just a broken character himself.


    Damien shook his head helplessly as this fellow was already growing arrogant. He said out of the blue, still invisible under the effects of "Devil''s Shadow".


    "Like I said, it is not a dragon. And you should be careful. It''s learning while it battles you." He warned, making sure not to add too much information.


    He still wanted Flint to adapt by himself.


    "..."


    Flint was first shocked, but then nodded a momentter. "Don''t worry, I''ll get serious now." He said, his fists zing out into hellish mes that caused the sorounding temperature to rise.


    And with a light kick off the ground, he dashed forward at terrifying speeds. Being enhanced by his Abilities, he was like a blur of red light to Damien.


    Damien watched as the invisibility he had was about to end. In the meantime, he rushed deeper into the Realm, towards the one thing that he was dearly looking for.


    The Stones of Evolution.


    And by the time he reached the first pile, the stealth wore off, as his Mana was decreased to way below a hundred million units of Mana. But he was not worried.


    His focus was more on the Stones of Evolution, and what their current purpose could be. Especially for the current him, who literally had no ss as we speak.

 Chapter 66 So Its You

    ?[ Cryz Stone (Tier 5) :- A unique ancient stone born out of the proliferation of Mana and Divine power. It has the power to affect the Universal Laws of Evolution, Mutation, Progress etc to bring about the most optimum form of a creature or thing below ???. Can also affect Skills and Abilities, Techniques and Arts etc and progress them to the next level ]


    Damien went through the Stone of Evolution, or rather, the Cryz Stone''s definition briefly. He then put it within his storage, and began collecting collecting more of them.


    There were tens of them this side, and he collected them all. At the same time, he collected everything else that was close by to him.


    The colorful Shards, which were impurified Mana Crystals, the numerous Mana Stones, which some he used to restore his depleted Mana.


    Each Mana stone recovered a thousand units of Mana if absorbed. And there were numerous of them here, to the point where he felt like they were the mainmodity.


    He absorbed a thousand or so, and instantly recovered a million units of Mana. But it was still slow. Especially as his reserves were way beyond a billion.


    That was secondary though. His main goal was still to collect as many resources he could get his hands on. While the battle was taking ce.


    After all, it was in obvious they were not winning this fight anytime soon. And the Stones of Evolution was not the main reason he did not go back to Juliette yet.


    There were still many more things to collect, and hoarde all for himself. And this Realm itself, was just adding more to his great demands.


    Meanwhile, the battle between the Realm Guardian and Flint was still underway. And was even greater than it was moments ago.


    BOOOM!!!


    Both the Realm Guardian and Flint crashed heavily onto the ground, shaking it into horrendous earthquakes that threatened to topple down everything.


    The Realm Guardian stood up the fastest, and sent out a tail bash towards him. Flint reacted fast, and used his special pyrokic innate ability to push himself backwards like a rocket.


    Boom!!


    Therge draconic tail smashed down heavily with the force of a billion tons, and shook the soroundings greatly.


    "..."


    Flint, who managed to quickly avoid death paused in his actions. He then realized that fighting like this, would lead up to his death.


    His natural defense were overally less than 1% of the Realm Guardian''s total damage. Let alone 1%, it was below 0,1% if he took in the Realm Suppression factor.


    He would die if he was touched even casually by any of its normal attacks.


    ''Which is why I need to upgrade more of my Abilities.'' He thought, then called up his Temte and checked for any useful Abilities he could manifest.


    But unfortunately, he had no Abilities that could increase his defense value. ''Am I really this...'' He paused, and immediately changed his mindset.


    He could not demonization himself.


    Not now!!


    He pulled back using his mes, as the Realm Guardian continued on with its pursuit. In the meantime, he spent a lot of Ability Points to convert [Expanded Force (Extra)] to the peak of Unique Grade.


    It had no physical enhancement passive effects, but once activated, it dealt five hundred times more shock damage to the opponent.


    And that was what Flint was looking for in this situation. ''If I cant increase my defenses, then I''ll just make do that I am not touched.'' He thought, and charged towards the Realm Guardian.


    The Realm Guardian took the challenge head on, and also charged towards him. But Flint was unphased.


    And as both opponents got so ever close to each other, Flint finally used a few of his ss Abilities that he had to attack.


    <zing War God>


    <Essence of Destruction>


    One increased all his perimeters by a thousand times, while another transformed his next attack into pure destructive Essence that could not be dodged by even the strongest under the Deity category.


    Adding along his already over two billion tons worth of damage, and the [Expanded Force (Advanced Unique)] that added another five hundred times of pure shock damage.


    His next attack would be devastating!!


    And he had to time this next attack properly. For he only had this opportunity to shift the battle perspective to his favor.


    Hence two shes of light went and shed together at great momentum.


    Booom!!


    And an explosion was kicked up, as a force almost thirty billion tons smashed onto the Realm Guardian, and pushed it back faster than it charged forward.


    ROOOOAAARRRR!!!


    It let out a roar of pain and agony, as it crashed heavily onto a couple of mountains behind it, toppling each and every one of them into rumbles and dust.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Worst of all, it''s left arm was evaporated into nothingness, leaving being residual red mes that made it impossible for it to heal regardless of how much Divine power was supplied.


    ROOOOAAARRR!!!


    Hence it let out another roar of pain and anger this time, shaking the whole newborn Realm itself. Then from its body, a terrifying aura spread out.


    Following it''s roar, the whole Realm suddenly changed. The sorounding environment was warped , and transformed into a crystallized world of Endless length.


    The world was pure white, with crystallized mountains, crystallized hills, crystallized valleys, crystallized stctites, crystallized stgmites and many more.


    It was beautiful, yet devastating.


    And what was even more devastating, was the thousands upon thousands of stctites above him, that suddenly fell down towards him at light speed!!


    ...!!!


    Faster than anything the boy ever saw. ''What in the...?!'' He hurriedly reacted and used another one of his ss Ability. With his infinite Mana, he could easily bare the cost of the Ability.


    <Cosmic Sun>


    A miniaturized sun instantly appeared within his palm, being a thousand times more powerful than an ordinary sun. And once it appeared, he immediately raised his hand above him.


    WAM~


    And with that, more Mana was powered within the sun, increasing its size to be asrge as a few mountains put together.


    The thousands upon thousands of falling stctites fell upon the sun, and instead of facing resistance, easily tore through the Cosmic sun and pushed on towards Flint with great speed.


    ''Oh no...!!'' The young man froze, and only watched as the stctites tore through his Cosmic Sun and appeared a few meters above him.


    Ba-dump~


    His heart suddenly beat onest time, and alongside that, was a voice that rang within his head that immediately woke him up instantly. ''SWITCH!!!''


    BA-DUMP~


    His heart beat once again, releasing mes like a hyper charged neutro-engine. mes that instantly travelled like neurons all the way to his brain, and cloaking it in mes.


    BOOOM!!!


    And that very moment, the thousands of stctites struck the ground. And unfortunately for them, Flint appeared tens of meters back like a ghost, a trail of mes lining towards the stctites.


    "Huff... Huff... Huff..." Flint''s breathing was raggered. His heart continuously climbing up the roof in fear. And his body sweating buckets in stress.


    He looked up at the stctites that struck the ground ferociously. Then back at himself, still in disbelief. ''How did... What... Who...?'' He thought, yet could not calm down to properly have thoughts.


    The Realm Guardian was also surprised that he survived, and let out an even more powerful roar of anger. A roar that shook the crystal world they were in.


    It then opened its mouth, and took in arge breathe of air. And from this small action, Flint suddenly saw strange characters flying towards the mouth of the Realm Guardian.


    He saw the same characters around the falling stctites. They were white and silver, and read "Light", "Disorder" and "Destruction". He did not understand them, and let them be.


    But he realized he could not ignore them now. The ones gathering within the Realm Guardian''s mouth were the same, and even more.


    They were "Light", "Destruction", "Annihtion", "sma", "Matter", "Fire", "Chaos" and many more. Which altogether, gave a threatening pressure like never before.


    ''What''s... What''s going on..? Why is this happening..? Sir Damien.'' He thought, and he knew that no matter what, he had to AVOID this attack. No. Matter. What.


    ROOOOAAARRRR!!!


    The Realm Guardian finally swallowed the numerous characters, and released a magnificent dragon breathe like no other. It was white in color, and traversed Light at an instant.


    But Flint believed he could still avoided it. The distance between was enough. Unfortunately, at this moment, he realized that he could not move his body.


    ''...!!!''


    And the dragon''s breathe pushed on closer to him like death. ''Ah, Fou... I''m going to die¨C'' But unfortunately for him, more surprises were in store for him.


    For a gray sh swept him by, and they luckily managed to survived the disaster. The Gray sh then appeared mid air, and was revealed to be Damien with the Wings of Endless Ash.


    "Ah...? Sir, sir Damien?" Flint asked in surprise. He was held in between Damien''s armpits. But no reply came to him, as the young man himself was staring at something else altogether.


    Something above them.


    It wasn''t even the terrifying Realm Guardian. But an even more terrifying being. "So, it''s you..." He said with no emotions within his tone.

 Chapter 67 Juliettes Dreadful Training I

    ?Within the Pixie Paradise


    Edge of The Realm


    Juliette stood within a cubicle, that had nothing inside. It was just made up of gray metal on all sides, and also had no windows.


    It felt stuffy, yetfortable. The scent was also calming. A bit herbalistic, yet full of sweetness and niceness. Like a peaceful garden. A small paradise. A haven.


    She thought to herself. ''It would be nicer with some decorations, and a hint of life you know.'' And further continued with her thoughts.


    Then besides her appeared the pixie prince''s apparition, that began exining to her what the use of this ce was. "Wee within our Elemental Training grounds."


    The apparition said in a childish tone, then added in a whisper as if gossiping, "We made this ce specially for you. We are the best, aren''t we? Aren''t we?"


    "..."


    Juliette nodded in defeat. She did not even know why she felt defeated, but she felt so nheless. The apparition nodded in joy and further exined.


    "You can will the soroundings to transform into an Elemental ground that would train you in attaining your Elemental affinity." It said, and Juliette pecked her head in understanding.


    "All you have to do, is choose the element, then the difficulty, and finally, how long you would like to stay. And depending on your talent, you can either grasp Elemental Affinities in a few days, or months."


    The apparition smiled as it spoke. Juliette did notment and also smiled back at it. The pixie apparition stopped smiling and pouted in disappointment.


    "Good bye. And enjoy." It left such words as the apparition grew in size, until it filled up the whole room. It was not just growing, but it felt like it was inting.


    Even it''s expressions were spot on. It thus grew and grew, until it exploded into a chorus of illusory party tricks that spread out. And then slowly disappeared before touching the ground.


    "..."


    Juliette watched everything take ce, and only sighed. She was sad. She was also bored. These little guys were fun to be around, but they were also a bit too...


    "Childish. Geez. I can''t bare with it for much longer." She thought, once again in defeat.


    It has been five days since Damien left her, so she has not been that much demanding of his presence. But she knew that it has almost been two months for him outside.


    She was wondering if he missed her asionally. But then again, there was nothing to miss from her. She barely gave him anything worth missing toe back to.


    Aside from love. A bit of nagging. A bit of quarreling. And yeah, pretty much all of that.


    "..."


    Now that she thought about it, she frowned. ''Am I... actually so boring?'' She thought, and her heart skipped a beat.


    That thought bothered her, and the young maiden sat down cross legged. She decided that she would not overthink this matter for the time being, and just cultivate.


    At least, if she became stronger, she would not be a burden. ''But still... I can''t believe that there''s nothing I can do for him. While he''s doing everything for me.''


    She shook her head, and then sat her mood straight ''Get it together girl. You need to focus.'' She had to train. And not let these mental demons corrupt her.


    [ Training In Progress... ]


    And such a notification appeared before her eyes when she sat her mood straight. She watched, and waited for things to take ce.


    Momentster, a follow up notification appeared after the first one. Followed by a long list of words below it.


    [ Please Choose an Element to train ]


    Juliette paused, and read through the list of words one by one. She then immediately chose "Fire", to start off this training. It was also the first spirit she killed.


    Plus, her intuition told her that this element woulde in handy soon enough. And would benefit her greatly.


    [ The Affinity of Fire has been chosen ]


    [ Please appoint the time period required for the Elemental Training of the Fire Affinity ]


    Juliette thought about it for a moment, and sent in forty hours. It was the remaining hours for it to strike a week of her staying here. And also the time Damien promised to return.


    She chose the time due to desiring to not overthink much. She knew herself. And knew that the sudden thought she had, would haunt her until Damien returns.


    Thus until then, she would train in her Affinities, and if possible, Progress her Wish Trials to the third Trial. And maybe, she could gift the rewards of this Trial to Damien.


    [ Forty hours maximum ]


    [ What difficulty would you like the training to be optimized at? ]


    [ Low ]


    [ Medium ]


    [ High ]


    "...High." Juliette thought, and prepared herself to undergo gruesome training for almost two days straight.


    [ Noted ]


    [ Training may ensure. Please prepare yourself, candidate ]<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    She took a deep breathe of air to calm herself. Then momentster, the room suddenly took on a red shade. Followed by booming sounds of rms.


    ...!!!


    Juliette was caught off guard, and obviously frightened. Like a startled rabbit. Her heart skipped a beat, and she found herself almost losing bnce.


    And before she could say anything nor understand her circumstances, she found herself suspended within a different environment. Like a cave.


    No. More like a pit.


    ''Huh? Where am I? What happened?'' She thought, as she suddenly felt hot and breathless.


    Her body was already sweating buckets. So much so that, her clothes were already wet. As if she was sshed with water.


    Including her hair. ''So hot so hot so hot!! What... What is the meaning of this?''


    She cried internally, as she finally spread our her senses and realized that she was in the middle of a pool ofva.


    And above her, was a mini sun that felt like it was a bit too close to be considered human friendly. Thus why she was experiencing intense heat from up and below.


    [ Training taking ce ]


    [ Wee to edge of the Fiery ins ]


    ''Fiery what?'' Juliette thought in shock, as her skin slowly turned a shade pink. She felt like she was going to melt. And her breathe was now bing raggered.


    ''Focus girl. Focus. All you have to do, is just bare with the pain. Yes, that''s all. Bare with the intense heat. Just bare with the fucking... Bare with it!!'' She continuously hypnotized herself, and then closed her eyes.


    But secondster, her eyes quivered, and her body trembled. ''It''s impossible. I can''t do this. It''s impossible!!'' She cried out within her mind.


    "Cancel training. Cancel training!!" She then hastily shouted with all her might. She was burning. She was breathless. She was dying!!


    But the reply from the training ground''s artificial intelligence made her dread.


    [ High Difficultly cannot be removed ]


    "What...? WHAT?!" She eximed in fright, then hurriedly added, "Decrease difficulty then!! DECREASE DIFFICULTY!!!" She shouted with all her might.


    But the response was still the same.


    [ Difficulty cannot be switched mid training. Please wait for forty hours ]


    ...!!!


    She paused. She froze. "Forty hours..? Forty hours? FORTY FUCKING HOURS?! WHAT AM I? AN INSULATOR?! FUCK!! I''D BE DEAD BEFORE TWELVE, LET ALONE FORTY!!" And cried out loud this time.


    But the temperature seemed to have increased, alongside the pitch of her tone.


    "..."


    She widened her eyes in shock as her only saving grace had left through the door. And worst of all... the heat was slowly climbing up thedder and not lessening one bit.


    ''I... I fucked up. I would rather stress day in day out, than go through this.'' She cried out in regret. But at the same time, sat cross legged and focused on her mind.


    She then took a deep breathe in, and blew it out. Her body trembling, and her eyes quivering, but she still kept her cool and focused.


    Her thoughts at serenity. Or not.


    ''I live for Damien. I die for Damien. Fire shall not kill me. I live for Damien. I die for Damien. Fire shall not stress me. I live for¨C'' She continuously chanted, and hypnotized her mind.


    And the effects worked wonders on her. Her mentality calmed down, and began ignoring the pain felt from the scalding heat. A perfect imagine of Damien was painted within her mind.


    And as that happened:


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ Congrattions for manually obtaining natural resistance to Fire ]


    [ Natural fire resistance:- 0,001% ]


    Such a notification appeared before her. But Juliette was too focused to see, nor mind it. Hence she did her own thing, and continously hypnotized herself.


    And as she did so, the mes kept up climbing up. And her resistance as well. Hence reducing the pain she was feeling the more she sat there and cultivated.


    [ Natural fire resistance:- 0,075% ]


    [ Natural fire resistance:- 0,248% ]


    [ Natural fire resistance:- 1,96% ]


    The process went by for an hour, and Juliette never stopped working on her mind. The hypnosis worked wonders to the point where she was not even aware she was self-hypnotizing herself.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ Congrattions on manually learning the Extra Skill, "Self-Hypnosis" ]

 Chapter 68 Juliettes Dreadful Training II

    ?And even then, such a notification was ignored by the youngdy. And she only cultivated and continued to cultivate. And also hypnotize.


    And time also went by. From an hour, to two hours. From two hours, to four hours. And from four hours, to eight hours. Time became illusory to her.


    By now, the mes sorounding Juliette were so hot, she was not even aware they were inhuman. For she was now... being submerged within the core of a star!!!


    The temperatures would be devastating regardless of who took the damage head on. Including a most demigods out there.


    And even then, only fire type demigods, or those strongest demigods with me resistant, and any type of defense Ability could do what she was naturally doing.


    [ Natural fire resistance:- 49,99% ]


    That notification was also ignored.


    And by the next hour, something grand urred. mes burst out, out of her body, destroying the sun she was being baptized within. Burning even the mes that made it up.


    Boom!!


    And then a powerful explosion followed, as mes sorounded her body. The mes refined her being, and kept refining until a red droplet appeared on her forehead.


    They continously refined her until her skin became more translucent, and fairer. Being as bright and vibrant as mes lit upon a candle, within the dark.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ TING!!! ]


    Followed by three notifications that rang within her mind. And finally disrupted her focus. The notifications appeared durect within her mind.


    She frowned and then opened her eyes, and found herself back within the training room. The gloomy, yet paradiscal atmosphere seemingly foreign to her.


    ''Is it over?'' She thought, but was disappointed with the next follow up responds from two different Wills.


    [ CONGRATULATIONS!!! ]


    [ You are the first to ever obtain an AFFINITY at such a lower League. You have been awarded 1,000 units of Life Essence (Half will be shared to your Eternal Companion) ]


    [ Due to doing something unbelievable, and your unfathomable talents; you can train aw, and affect it once enough source energy is supplied ]


    [ You have obtained an AFFINITY!! Your Mana will increase by 100% due to being closer to the Natural Workings of Reality ]


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ Due to being a low leveled Apprentice, you have done an impossible feat. Your Mana will increase by 500%. Please keep up the good work and continue breaking Limits ]


    "What?" Juliette froze at the notification from The Primordial Source. Them momentster, she bloomed in joy. "I did it!! I obtained an Affinity!! Yay!!"


    She spread out her hands in joy, like a small child. But the next follow up notice from the artificial intelligence made her dread her Fate.


    [ You have finalized the training of a single Affinity in just nine hours straight ]


    [ There are still thirty nine hours remaining. Please choose the next Affinity under a minutes ]


    [ If nothing is chosen under sixty seconds, the A.I will randomly select an Affinity for you, whether it matches or not. Please tread carefully candidate ]


    "..."


    Juliette froze in her posture, and then frowned. This. This was out of her expectation. Nine hours? Not nine years?


    What she went through a moment ago was already dreadful enough. Let alone going through another three more. She silently cried to herself.


    ''At least... the fact that I only required nine hours to obtain an Affinity, means that I am talented enough right?'' She thought, and manifested her Temte.


    [ Name: Juliette Silver ]


    [ Mana: 2 013 421 855 units ]


    [ Epithet(3): First Blood(Grand), Grand Pioneer of Mana(Myth-1), Dragon yer(Myth-1) ]


    [ ss: Lvl 6 ssless (0/90) ]


    [ Sub-ss: None ]


    [ Excess Life Essence: 11 372 units ]


    [Alignment: Chaotic Neutral ]


    [ Stats: STR - 10,0 || AGI - 10,0 || END - 10,0 || WIS - 30,0 || INT - 30,0 || AFF - 30,0 ]


    [ Stat Points: 0 || Ability Points: 1 ]


    [Ultimate Abilities(1): Spirit Source(1) ]


    [ Unique Abilities(6): Spirit Zone(1), Spirit Medium(1), Mystic Magic(1), Mana Magic(1), Spirit Magic(1) Elemental Magic(1) ]<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    [ Extra Abilities(1): Self-Hypnosis(1) ]


    [ Techniques(1): Mana Incorporation(Unique) ]


    [ Natural Resistance(1): <Fire: 50%> ]


    [ Spells(23): Spell Creation(2nd), Rune Casting(2nd), Symbol Inscription(2nd), Magic Maniption(2nd), Personal Magic: Mana(2nd), Mana Control(2nd), Mana Enhancement(2nd), Mana Construction(2nd), Mana Aura(2nd), Mana Creation(2nd), Spirit Summon(2nd), Spirit Grooming(2nd), Spirit Communication(2nd), Spirit Empowerment(2nd), Spirit Fusion(2nd), Fire Ball(2nd), Fire st(2nd), Bubble Prison(2nd), Water Dragon(2nd), Haste(2nd), Hurricane Burst(2nd), Mountain Wall(2nd), Meteorite(2nd) ]


    [ Equipment(0): None ]


    [ Resources(0): None ]


    She immediately used the one minute to study any changes she experienced. And the first, was the fact that her Affinity was not shown anywhere on her Temte.


    ''Which is strange.'' She thought. Then the second being that she obtained 50% resistance to mes. She did not understand how that differed from obtaining the fire resistance Ability.


    Hence she clicked upon it for more details. And the presentation exined the difference immediately. Natural Resistance were amazing.


    [ Natural Resistance of Fire (50%) :- Gives the user natural resistance to all types of Fires. Regardless if it fire cast by mortals or those cast by gods. As long as they are mes under the Universal Principle of Fire, they are decreased in effects by 50%. Effects are natural to the user, such as breathing. Requires no Mana, nor Stamina to activate. Passive effects ]


    "Oh wow." She marveled. It was amazingpared to an Ability of the same nature.


    For example, an Extra Ability would not defend against a Unique Ability. But this Natural Resistance gave her 50% resistance to both, regardless of grades.


    And best part, it was natural. Just like breathing for her. She did not need to use Mana, or even stamina to activate the effects, as they were just there at all times.


    And she also obtained a new Ability. She blushed in embarrassment as she could already tell how she obtained the Ability.


    [ Ten seconds left. Please choose an Affinity to undergo training in next ]


    A reminder appeared before her, and Juliette sighed. Then closed her eyes and chose another affinity. "I choose water." She said through her teeth, as if forcing the words out of her mouth.


    She knew this was going to suck. Or rather, this was going to be a wet experience. But she had no choice. She was not ready for earth, nor for wind.


    Luckily for her, "I can get Affinities, as well as 50% natural resistances to these elements. Which... which is a good thing. Yup. A good thing." She thought out loud.


    And a momentter, she appeared within the ocean. And as far as she could see, there was nothing but water in every cardinal direction.


    And it was also dark. ''Hopefully I obtain underwater breathing, or dark vision as well.'' She thought, and sat cross legged at the sea bed, and began another section of Affinity training.


    And thus, her training continued.


    Meanwhile, outside the training room. The pixie prince floated with serenity within its expression. A bit of a mischievous smile as well.


    Then with pop of sparkles, another pixie appeared. One wearing a business suit. "Your majesty, don''t you think you are being a bit too harsh on her?"


    The newly arrived pixie asked, and the pixie prince had a contemting expression. And replied a few secondster, "Well... she is a woman who experienced the pain of losing her children. Not once. Not twice."


    "That makes sense." The pixie within a suit nodded in understanding, then left in the same manner it appeared.


    Another momentter, another pixie appeared, and presented new information to the pixie prince. "Your majesty, there are people that have appeared out of the blue."


    "Out of the blue? What''s the blue?" The pixie prince asked, and the newly arrived pixie froze. Then responded after a moment of thought. "What blue?"


    "The blue that they appeared out of dummy." The pixie prince said, and the pixie then had confusion on its facs. "What blue did theye out of?"


    "..."


    "..."


    They exchanged confused expressions, and vanished at the same time. Leaving behind sparkles and party tricks as an after effect.


    They reappeared within a room containing multiple pixies within. The room was technological, like the interior of a space warship.


    The numerous pixies were busy with their own business, and did not mind the arrival of their prince. They just nodded as a greeting, and watched the screen of light.


    Within the screen, there were a group of people consecutively moving between different spatial points. As if caught within a space vortex maze.


    They would appear within a certain location, and when they were about to settle down, would appear within another location instantly.


    The same process repeated itself consecutively. And even if they chose not to settle down, once one felt tired, and felt the need to rest, they would shift.


    Hence they went through a spatial circle for hours on end. And the pixies just watched in entertainment all this while.


    "What is the situation?" The pixie prince asked one of the pixies within the room. And a reply instantly arrived, "They are pure hearted. They have also notined one bit."


    It said.


    And indeed. From the screen of light, the thousands of beings only chartered to themselves. They took care of those that had spatial sickness.


    All this while, noneined. And sometimes, once given the chance, they would sit down and talk. Or train. Or read. But overall, non minded the torture they were going through.


    They were gods after all.

 Chapter 69 A Fortunate Opportunity

    ?Plus, Damien taught them a certain meditation technique that could tone down the emotions of beings. It was a godly technique that he was always using when not around Juliette.


    It was a subconscious action for him. And as demigods, everyone easily learned it, and suppressed their emotions.


    Another plus, Damien had told them that they would go through a test. And if they seed, would be able to reach their destination. So they had to bare with whatever they went through.


    And they listened.


    "Let them in." The pixie prince said. The pixies nodded, and one pixie waved his hand and destroyed the Universal Rules of Space that it sat, and brought everyone within the Pixie Paradise.


    ~~~


    Within an unknown area, the Falsarians had just appeared and then began doing their own bidding. Some trained. Some discussed. And some chattered.


    Fou appeared as well, and besides her was Fin. The little girl was holding arge book that could almost rival her in width. She hugged it tightly, and had dead eyes.


    She had been memorizing the <re Scribble> for who knows how long. And now, she could already read out 1/10 of it even without opening the dammed book.


    Those were millions of words already. Let alone when she read out the whole book, andpletely memorized it. Would she have a hundred million words within her brain?


    Stored as if they were own name?


    She dreaded the whole thing itself. But had no choice in this matter. Meanwhile, Fou had aplicated expression.


    She missed Flint. But not much. The problem now was that, she was tired. And about to go crazy. But she had no choice in this matter. She had to bare with it.


    The only saving grace was the [Serenity] breathing technique that Damien had taught to them. As well as the Spells that she was taught by him as well.


    If it weren''t for these two, she would be going crazy by now. With nothing to do. She couldn''t read the <re Scribble> when Fin was still reading it.


    "Again? It''s getting shorter and shorter. The duration in between every teleportation is narrowing." She thought, and for some reason, could see Unique characters floating around them.


    It has been a while she has been seeing them. And by now, they bing clearer and clearer. As well as more vibrant. Plus, they were increasing in numbers.


    She squinted her eyes at one, and could read the letter briefly. ''Space?'' She thought, as the characters glowed a white light, and everyone began teleporting away once again.


    Meanwhile, she was able to stay behind for a second. The Teleportation might have seemed instantaneous for everyone, but to her, she saw how everyone disappeared one at a time.


    The difference between not being even a microsecond. But she saw as they all moved. And with this peculiar vision, she could see a line leading to a different direction.


    ''Is that... where we are going?'' She thought, as she saw a character of "Space" besides her lit up, and took her away as well. She was thest to leave.


    And when she reappeared, she found that they were not within a dark ce anymore. They were lights everywhere. And fresh air as well.


    ''Where...'' She thought, and finished the sentence out loud, "...are we?" She was shocked at the beauty of this ce.


    Everyone else had the same thoughts as her, and turned to look around themselves. They were surprised. But more joyful that shocked.


    ''We are finally out of that hell!!''


    ''We did it. We did it!!''


    ''YEEEEEESSS!!!''


    ''Thank little Damien. We are finally done suffering. Waaa...''


    Numerous people fell to their knees and cried tears of joy. Some looked up with smiles of joy and relief. And others hugged each other in joy.


    Everyone was happy.


    Including Fou as well. "We... We did it. Thankfully, we did it." She sighed in relief, and affectionately brushed Fin''s head. Who in return, scowled at her.


    But just as they were about to rx, childish voices rang out here and there. Showing shock and panic. Which spread out the more they cried.


    "INTRUDERS!! INTRUDERS!!"


    "OITSIDERS!! OUTSIDERS!!"


    "KYA~KYAAAA!!"


    "RUN!! RUUUUUN!!"


    "OH NO!!!"


    The same experience Damien and Juliette went through as they arrived, the group of Falsarians also went through the same. But more chaotic.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    And unlike Damien, they were not aware of the little guy''s mischief. Nor did Damien warn them. Fou panicked and hurriedly tried to calm down the situation.


    She did not want to seem like an intruder, and be attacked by Damien''s friends. Especially thedy called Juliette. That would be a disaster.


    "Wa-Wait!! WE ARE NOT INTRUDERS!! WE ARE NOT INTRUDERS!! PLEASE CALM DOWN." She shouted at the panicked pixies, that flew above her like sprites of light.


    "KYAAAA!!!"


    "THEY CAN SPEAK!!"


    "RUN~ RUUUUUN!!!"


    "No. FLYYYYY!!!".


    Unfortunately for her, the disaster did not lessen one bit. And only became worse. But Fou did not give up. Nor did the Falsarians. They all tried to calm down the situation.


    "PLEASE CALM DOWN. WE ARE SENT BY SIR DAMIEN!! PLEASE CALM DOWN. WE ARE FRIENDS!! NOT ENEMIES. FRIENDS!!" She shouted as well.


    The asion continued for a while until the pixies were pink on satisfaction. Their faces were covered with vibrant smiles. And their eyes sparkling.


    They finally enjoyed themselves. Damien had given them a bit of trouble. Including Juliette as well. And they were secretly dissatisfied with everything.


    But that dissatisfaction was now gone. The pixie prince sighed in joy, and floated towards the now tired and exasperated fou. "Ah, Travellers. How can we help you?"


    Fou warily looked at the pixie prince, and thought to herself, ''Are they calm now? Are they calm?'' She then hurriedly fixed her thoughts in case something worse took ce.


    "Y-Yes. We are people sent by sir Damien. He directed us here, and has directed us tody Juliette. Is there by any chance that she is... here?" She asked, her tone polite.


    Despite everything that urred, she was still calm and polite. After all, they did intrude. And the pixie''s reactions were normal. From her perspective.


    "Lady Juliette? Whose that?" The pixie prince thought, then a pixie floated and whispered something into its ear. It then nodded in realization.


    "Ah, you mean the unfortunate woman?" It said in realization. And Fou was confused. ''Unfortunate?'' She thought. Her mind running wild with guesses.


    "Yeah, she''s busy." It said, then added. "Wait a few more hours. By tomorrow, she should be avable for you. If she''s still alive." Then whispered thest sentence.


    ''Excuse me? What do you mean by that?'' Fou thought in shock. At this point, she was wondering if this ce was even safe at all. But she had no choice.


    "...Okay. Thank you, uhm, respected sir is?" She inquired, and the pixie prince replied. "Pixie prince number 72." It unabashedly said.


    ''I''ll call you your majesty.'' She thought, then nodded. "Thank you for the help, your majesty. Where should we rest, by any chance?" And asked, as no instructions were given to them.


    "You can camp here. We have resources inside that you can trade for." The pixie prince said. Fou was first speechless, and then nodded once again in understanding.


    "Thank you once again."


    "As you should." The pixie prince nodded, and she hurriedly asked back in shock. "Excuse me?"


    The pixie prince also did not hesitate to reply, "I meant you''re wee. You didn''t hear me? Are you okay?" And said without any shame.


    "..."


    Fou kept her mouth silent. She realized that entertaining these guys was just causing nothing but stress within her life.


    Hence she separated herself from them, and just took charge of the Falsarians. This included taking care of where they temporarily camped, when they had lunch time, whether everyone was safe, etc.


    She did did alongside her family, who were already the managers of the entire vige. Flint being outside did not reduce the work load they had whatsoever.


    In just an hour or two, everyone was sorted out, and they made camp. The families camped together, the couples as well, and those that preferred solitude, could still be alone.


    The area was safe, hence they could distance themselves a bit. Fou also took charge of how they would eat, and what would happen from today onwards.


    But she never finalized the ns, for she still had to meet Juliette, and talk to her. And also wait for Damien. This could just be their temporary stop.


    Nobody knows.


    Meanwhile, back to Juliette.


    The hours hence shed by, and by the grace of the gods, thirty hours were now over. She appeared back within the training room, and could not help but sigh.


    Her presence waspletely different than before. She was like a different person. Like a spirit goddess. But most importantly. She...

 Chapter 70 A Vampiric God

    ?Back within the Newborn Realm


    The Battle had been paused.


    Damien suspended himself mid air, the grayish ck Wings of Endless Ash pping behind him. Between his arm, was Flint held like a luggage bag.


    Behind him was the Realm Guardian. The badly wounded dragon that stared warily at the duo, and at a new entrant that just appeared.


    And this entrant, was a handsome man in ck. He has slick ck hair, neatlybed backwards. A well-fit tuxedo. A paleplexion, and a pair of red eyes.


    He had a few pieces of jewelry on his body. Like a silver ear piece on his left ear, silver bracelets and rings. He floated up without the help of wings, and stared at the Realm Guardian.


    His silent gaze was emotionless, but hidden within, was clear disdain. He then moved his head to face Damien and Flint, whom stared back at him.


    "What... Who, who is he?" Flint inquired in a whisper. He was not there, when Damien told the others about the Vampiric God of Fate after their race.


    He was not there when they discussed about a lot of important things. And nobody bothered to exin everything to him. Including Damien.


    "A friend." Damien responded lightly. His voice was low, but they were within the presence of a god, hence he heard every word they said.


    "Hm?" And he hummed at interest at Damien''s words. ''Friend... he says.'' He thought, finding more and more intrigue about these duo.


    For once, he found out that he could not glimpse through the Fate of mortals. And not just one. But two of them. Who were together, at the same time.


    This was not a coincidence.


    Especially so, when he felt that there was someone blurry within his visions. He could not see through this person no matter how he tried, or focused.


    And no matter how much Divine power he burned, he was unfortunately still at a loose end. It made him frown back then, more so now.


    He was Virgil, a lone Vampire. A powerful one at that. He became a peak Greater Deity in just less than a hundred years of being born, saving himself thousands of years of his life.


    Rose up in ranks, and became someone important in hierarchy throughout his Kingdom. Yet even then, he had never met anything like this.


    Not even the Queen herself, as well as all her trusted aides coulde close toparing to these two mortals.


    He could at least glimpse through her Fate, just that he was afraid of being discovered. But these two. He could not see anything. Like staring at a nk page.


    ''They are like that child I''ve seem within my Fate. The one that I must proim. And I know these men... have something to do with her disappearance.'' He thought.


    "..."


    Damien all the while kept his silence. He took the re of Virgil without inching back. To the both of them, it was like the Realm Guardian did not exist.


    The situation continued on, until Virgil broke the silence. "Who are you?" Andid out the question that was tugging at his strings of curiosity.


    Damien was first silent, then responded secondster. "Like I said, an old friend." And his tone was stern. No hint Tha he was joking.


    "I have no recalling of your existence within my memory. Care introduce yourself, sir?" Virgil responded as such without hesitation.


    "I am Damien. And that''s of no importance, Virgil. I''ll keep it straight. Are you looking for the little girl you see within your visions?" Damien nodded as sheid out these words to Virgil.


    His tone was in, and emotionless. Deadbeat serious. Virgil paused, snd slightly frowned. ''He knows my name, hence he''s obviously powerful, and influential.''


    ''He also knows of my purpose. Hence he knew of my arrival as well?'' Virgil''s thoughts went on an overdrive. But his expressions returned to being null, as if he was not bothered.


    He came here because of his Unique Abilities. After he saw blurry visions of a strange man leading his targets away, he immediately found an excuse and set off.


    He set off earlier, gor his visions did not let him know of the time this took ce. But even then, he realized that he waste.


    He arrived to a destroyed vige, as if two beings were battling intensively with each other. Everything was left in ruins, but no sign of anyone dying.


    He stayed around for a while, and searched for evidence, but could not find a direction they left towards. Damien and Flint had flown. And the vige had teleported.


    But he was unaware. He ended up using more of his Abilities, abd found a hint if where to go. Which ultimately led him to this precious treasure trove.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    But everything aside, nothing was more important than the girl in his visions. And now, these two men who had undefined Fates. Which was why he asked again.


    "Who are you, may I repeat?" He inquired, his tone a bit lower than usual. But Damien also did not back down, "Like I said, that is of no importance, Apocryphal God of Fate."


    "..."


    Virgil''s eyes twitch in annoyance at that title he was called out with. Only a few people knew of this title. Very few.


    And all of them were either special people with authority, or those with high status within the Seven Major Races.


    Meaning that these two, either belonged to one of the Seven Major Forces, or... were clearly of the Dark Assembly. A force that single handedly stood against the Seven Major Forces.


    "You are treading on fire, without the fear of burning. You are swimming on ice, not knowing the sheer impossibility of your actions. Mortal, choose your next words carefully."


    "Who. May. You. Be?" He asked, a bloody Aura spreading out to cover the whole Newborn Realm, like a cloak of darkness.


    "..."


    Damien paused for a moment, then smiled. A murderous glint shed through his eyes as he spoke back. Murderous intent so pure, and so thick, it shook Virgil slightly.


    "And who are you, worthy of knowing who I am? Do you qualify?" He chuckled lightly. His behavior shocked everyone, including Flint. Mostly Flint.


    ''Wha...What is going on here. I''m getting bad vibes out of this.'' Flint felt his heart sink at the rising tension. It also felt cold at the killing intent nit even directed at him.


    "..."


    Virgil also paused, and frowned even more. He could bit truly glimpse where Damien could possible be from. ''Such thick killing intent. Is he a resident of Helias?''


    He thought, but obtained no answers. Instead, Damien responded with more cryptic words of pride, and disdain. "You don''t. At the end of the day, you are but a low leveled god. What do you amount to, before someone like me?"


    Virgil rxed his facial muscles, abd responded. "Far more than you can fathom. A low leveled god, is still a godpared to a mortal. I would respect myself if I were you."


    "Ha. Respect myself? Oh please." Damien chuckled once again, and added, "I don''t respect myself, batty. I don''t want to. I adore myself. I cherish myself."


    He paused, and then frowned once again, his tone taking on a stern tone once again, "And if I were you, I''d do the same."


    "How impudent." Virgil responded as such, the bloody Aura thickening. Damien felt that it was his cue, and smiled lightly. A smile of a daredevil ready to die.


    "How elegant." He said, then spatial rules circted around him, and were ready to warp him at any given instant.


    His thick killing intent, and the thick bloody Aura cloaking the soroundings, had already pressured the Realm Guardian to madness. It was about to go on a rampage.


    Virgil was also about to apprehend them. So he decided to make his move and leave. But before then, he said, "Someone as special as you, deserves more than this. Had you done the same, maybe I would have listened to you."


    "Respect myself? Haha, funnying from someone whose but a loyal dog on a leash." He vanished at those cold words he left behind.


    "..."


    Virgil remained expressionless, and stopped ruling up his Divine power. He could tell where they went. But unfortunately, leaving here now, would be a miracle


    ROOOOAAARRRR!!!


    The Realm Guardian let loose, and released a powerful roar of anger, growing stronger at the process. Both were already peak Greater Gods.


    The battle would not be ending anytime soon. Meanwhile, Damien and Flint appeared outside the cave, suspended in the air.


    Damien immediately let go of Flint, and unfurled his wings. He felt his Mana skyrocket towards, and beyond the billions of units right now.


    This was the exact time that Juliette went over her first training session, and obtained an Affinity. Hence he felt his Mana explode over the threshold, and enter the tens of billions.


    He immediately turned to Flint and instructed, "Go. Full speed ahead." He did not wait, and burst ahead at Light speed, like a grayish ck sh of light.


    "Huh..?" Flint was first shocked, then momentster, hurriedly burst off as well, leaving behind a trail of fiery mes in the sky. "Wa¨CWait!! Sir Damien!! Sir Damien!!"

 Chapter 71 A Mana Vein

    ?Two rays of light, one grayish ck, and one red, shed past the mountain regions. They were so fast, they were indecipherable even to the eyes of most demigods.


    Two minutester, the light rays stopped over a steep ridge, revealing two humanoid figures thatnded fluently on the ground.


    Followed by one of them falling down face first, exhausted. His chest was heaving up and down, and his raggered breathe could be head from a few meters away.


    The other man was alright, for the most part. The only difference from his usualplexion was that he was a bit pale. But overall still stoic.


    "Rest up. You deserve it." He said, and the man lying down, Flint, slowly nodded his head.


    He was a demigod, one that was not even speed oriented. Yet he travelled at light speed for two whole minutes. One hundred and twenty seconds.


    That brought a lot of strain on his body, and stretched out his limits. He bet he surpassed a few from this small exercise.


    "..."


    Damien also knew about this, hence why he was not hard on the young man. Plus, he had also almost used up hisrge reserves of Mana.


    He had to recover a few. Even though that might take days considering howrge his reserves were. Usually, he would recover two units per second thanks to his potential.


    Then including the Realm effect, that increased to ny eight units per second (2¡Á7¡Á7).


    Which would take a couple of years to recover ten billion units. Three years to be precise. But his Mana reserves were now automatically connected to those of Juliette...


    So was their Mana recovery rate. Then if one included their breathing techniques that even gods would envy... then they were just monstrous.


    He could recover simply in just a day and a half, if not less here. Or two months through the world calender.


    Luckily, he still had thirteen days before he could return to Juliette. In which case for her, was merely going through thirty one hours.


    "Sir, sir Damien, that man..." Flint, who had caught a hint of his breathe back, sat up and started a conversation. He felt uneasy deep down considering the new entrant.


    "Virgil. He''s a famous vampire of the neighboring continent." Damien said in response, taking a sit in the process.


    Flint was intrigued about the matter. Continents? Vampires? "There are continents?" He asked, his eyes shining in curiosity.


    "A few. So, what of him?" Damien said, and Flint turned stern once more. "That man, Virgil... I feel like he''s strong. Far stronger than that thing we fought just now."


    Damien cut in and exined, "He is not. In terms of Realm, they are at the same Realm. Perfected Greater Deities. Not much to worry about. So?"


    "Is that so? But the dragon was wounded. It''s battle power should have been decreased right?" Flint said in disagreement. But Damien also did not back down.


    "True. But Virgil is not a battle god. Their battle prowess would be around at equilibrium. And Realm Guardians are entities that can harness the power of their Reams."


    "Whereby a single Realm is something not even the strongest of gods can create. Owning such a thing is as good as owning an endless reserves of energy."


    "Especially so if you are a god, or a mortal. Hence giving the Realm Guardian a higher edge in this scenario." He concluded without much care.


    Flint was impressed. And then it clicked to him. "So you retreated not because you gave up on all those treasures, but because you knew that even that Virgil guy would not win?"


    "Precisely. Not bad." Damien nodded in praise, and Flint smiled lightly.


    His nerves finally calmed down. But the situation was still deadly. "That Virgil guy... he won''t chase after us, will he?"


    "He will not. Not all gods can travel at light speed. Especially so, in the minor category of gods, when they are not speed type gods, or battle gods. And Virgil does not fall under each."


    Damien exined himself once more, and Flint nodded. His understanding of gods was improved. As for why he could travel at lightspeed despite being a demigod...


    He had no idea. Damien saw through his thoughts, and added, "There are special cases though. Hidden sses being ones. Potential being another. And then Bloodline."


    "Of course, being a Vampire, he''s of pure Bloodline, and of course, stronger condition. But even that was still a distance from making him seem invincible amongst his peers."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "In your case, your Bloodline is... let us not speak of it. But you have the highest potential, and also a Hidden ss. It''s not impossible to defymon sense." He concluded.


    Flint nodded. His world view was expanded once again. ''So my potential is quite high? And what''s the problem with my Bloodline? Is there hidden secrets about being a Falsarian?''


    He thought in excitement. Damien did not clear those thoughts and instead changed the topic. "As for whether he will chase after us... it is definitely unlikely."


    "Why?" Flint asked in curiosity.


    "Simply because he knows nothing of our origin." He said. But thee major reason was because both of them were anomalies of the highest degree.


    Knowing Virgil, he would have risked everything to chase them down. If he could not have the little girl in his visions, he will then bring back something else from this trip.


    Two anomalies being almost at the same level of value to their race.


    But as Damien had revealed secrets he believed only the highest of authorities among the Major Races knew, and even then, only a minority of them knew.


    He began doubting their purpose. Maybe they were also sent by their Kingdom or Empire. If that were the case, and he captures them... would he not bring war to his people?


    A war between two Major Races might lead to a World War that could shake the Realm. ''And nobody wants that. Especially as the Realm is still stabilizing itself.''


    Damien thought to himself. Though he was surprised why the World suddenly took the path of bing a Realm thus early, he did not overthink it.


    It was probably to create a bigger tform. A tform where the outer races, eldritch races, beyond races and many more, could also join the chess board.


    If that was the case. He had to move his goals a bit forward as well. Humanity had to ascend either by force, or by a greater force. ''And I''ll be that force.''


    Seven hours shed by, and Damien had already recovered over twenty percent of his Mana. Flint also recovered to tip top condition.


    And throughout that time, no sign of Virgil could be seen. Flint finally sighed in relief, d that they would not be chased down by a god.


    "Alright, let''s go." Damien stood up, and without another word, walked down the steep slope. Flint also stood up and followed. "Where are we going?"


    "There''s a Mana Vein here. Or there''s supposed to be one." Damien responded without looking back. Flint nodded and followed in silence.


    Damien thought back to his previous timeline. Around this area, there was once a battle between a Dragonborne and a Dragon, destroying everything around.


    Afterwards, yearster, a person passed by here, and just so happened to study the area. He then imed that they used to be arge Mana Vein here, and it was destroyed during the battle.


    Many races appeared, including the Major Races and tried to dig deeper, in order to verify the im. Regrettably, nothing was found.


    Most came to the conclusion that the winner of the battle back then, took everything that remained and retreated.


    And it was not proven. Now Damien wanted to see if there really was a Mana Vein at this ce. If so, he was hoarding it. All of it.


    "By the way, sir Damien, what''s a Mana Vein?" Flint asked after a moment of silence. Damien was first silent, and unfurled his wings, going deeper into the valley.


    Flint also followed. As a Demigod, Flight was a basic necessity for them. They went deeper, and Damien finally responded.


    "A Mana Vein is a treasure spot that has Mana Stones, Mana Crystals, Mana Cores, and many Mana rted resources. Depending on how big and old it is, it can have plenty of them."


    "But the best part about finding a Mana Vein, is finding the Mana Heart. A top tier godly treasure that can be taken, and nted anywhere, transforming the ce into a Mana Vein."


    "In some cases, nting it besides natural resources, can also transform them. A spring bing a Mana Spring. An Orchard, birthing Golden Fruits. Things like that."


    Damien exined, and Flint nodded, taking everything into considering. He also wondered if he could ask for a portion as well, to forge something with.


    Using high level treasures, can birth higher leveled weapons. And with his two Hidden sses, it was only a matter of time and resources for him.


    "Hopefully, there''s no creature guarding this ce. There are still many other ces I need to go to, and time is not on my side." Damien added, and Flint dreaded those words.

 Chapter 72 Juliettes Dowry

    ?He had a feeling that if there was, he would be the one to find with it again.


    The duo then kept going deeper a deeper into the valley in silence. And the deeper they went, the darker their soroundings became.


    It was bing so dark, one could barely make out their visage. Flint could barely see Damien besides him, and was forced to light up a fireball just in case.


    And deeper, they went. This continued for an hour or two, until they suddenly saw light at the deepest point of the valley. "Hm? It seems like the rumors were true."


    "..."


    Flint did not speak, and just prepared himself for battle. This was the deciding moment. He continously hoped that there was no beast or guardian here.


    After a few minutes, the duo finally arrived at the deepest point. And from up close, the light covered hundreds of miles of range. It was bright, and beautiful.


    "Wow..." Flint was amazed at the beauty of gold and white he was presented with. The best part was that the lights were bright, yet not that bright. At equilibrium on the spectrum.


    And the white crystals growing out of the floor and the walls brought out more beauty. Then speak less of the golden ted floor, that had sparkles from time to time.


    But there was more. There were fist sized marbles spread out within this ce, adding more beauty to it. Everything was just beautiful.


    But the most attractive spot, would be the central most area, where the light originated from. There, one could see a purely golden prism suspended in the air.


    It rotated constantly, pumping out pure Mana to the soroundings without stop. Flint looked up, and felt his heart freeze at the sight.


    "A Mana Heart." Damienmented from the side in wonder as well. This was a treasure even he felt was rare. He had found less than five in his previous timeline.


    And now, the first one was right before him. And its size... was quite enormous. Maybe even the Divine Core of a God King could not reach this thing in value.


    "It''s empty." Damien thought in surprise. The fact that he was able to find this resource point was amazing. But the fact that it had no Guardian was even more.


    "Yeah." Flint agreed. His nerves also rxed, as his sight fell upon the numerous Mana resources. They were beautiful. He thought.


    Damien then went ahead and first carefully scouted the ce. It could be an illusion. Or a trap. But even after an hour of careful scrutinizing, everything was normal.


    And with that being the case, he immediately jumped in and began collecting resources without a care. "Take 50% of whatever is here." And told Flint while he was at it.


    Flint was overjoyed, but knew that he had no right. He forcefully tagged along, and was not invited. And unlike the previous treasure trove, where he fought the Realm Guardian, here, he had no reason to collect even a single crystal.


    "No. It''s alright. They are yours. You found them." Flint said modestly, with a smile. Damien did not say anything, and continously kept collecting resources.


    His Void Keeper Unique artifact had a 10.000*10.000 square mile area. It was quite vast. Hence he could store everything here into it.


    "..."


    He continously kept collecting and once he reached 50%, he said, "There''ll be more work for you in the future. Some without a pay. Hence if I were you, I''d take the chance to collect future due debt at every given moment."


    After he said that, his speed increased and he collected whatever he found even faster. Flint was first shocked as he did not quite understand the statement.


    But momentster, he realized that not every trouble they woulde across, would have a reward like the Realm Guardian and the New Born Realm.


    Hence at times like these, he should just collect whatever he could, so that in the future, he knew that he was not working for nothing.


    Unfortunately by the time he came to that conclusion, only 40% of the resources were left. ''Holy shit, I gotta move. I gotta move as fast as I can.'' He thought in dismay.


    And using his full speed, he transformed into a fiery red light that traversed across the region. Damien also transformed into a grayish ck light and did not show any humility.


    Thus in mere seconds, Flint collected 27% of the overall resources, and Damien collected 73% of it all. And from his null expression, he did not seem one bit ashamed.


    "I guess that is all." He said, now facing the tall and prism-like shining crystal at the center. The Mana Heart. And the source of all these resources they collected.


    Flint also looked up and thought that, if he got his hands on this thing, he would not feel that bad from this overall deal. Unfortunately, Damien had other ns.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Relinquish your right to fight for this thing, and I''ll give your race a treasure of equivalent value in return. One suitable for your entire race." He said while staring at the Mana Heart.


    Flint paused and thought about it. First, he was touched that Damien even had the thought that he had any rights to such a high treasure.


    No, the fact that Damien even gave him anything at all, warmed his heart. Plus, he knew that Damien was knowledgeable about treasures. And thus he agreed. "...Deal."


    Damien nodded, then faced the Mana Heart. Unlike the other treasures, this thing had a will. And it could protect itself, whereby not even gods could properly im to be beyond it.


    Hence he doubted whether he had any luck with it. Battling was out of the case. But then, he had no other solutions to solving this thing.


    ''But the fact that you let us take your resources, means you mean us no harm. Or am I wrong, little Heart?'' He thought, and no responsive thoughts were reflected back at him.


    ¡¸...¡¹


    The Mana Hrart just shone in intensity, then slowly, moved towards Damien. To be precise, it flew towards his heart.


    The ce that had Mana reserves billions of times higher than average Apprentices. The ce were the Unique Breathing technique was mainly circted from.


    The deepest connection that bound him and Juliette through their ''marriage'' contract. And who was Juliette? She was a prodigy of Mana.


    And this bond between her am Damien, shared just a hint of that talent in Mana that she had. And that was enough to entice the Mana Heart into moving.


    Another aspect was that, Damien was being followed around by someone breaking one of the important Universal Rules of Reality. Thus him having Infinite Mana.


    All these were more than enough. Yet Damien was unaware. But he had his guesses as to why. ''Thisss... bringing me surprise upon surprise. Can I consider this your dowry?''


    He teased as he saw the Mana Heart shrink into a smaller size, then... sunk into his chest, like a knife cutting into butter. Simple and fluid.


    Flint watched everything take ce in amazement, as he could not believe his eyes. This actually happened? And who was Damien exactly?


    Meanwhile, notifications upon notifications fell upon Damien''s eyes, alerting him of a bond even gods would envy for a lifetime.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ Congrattions!! You are the first to find a Realistic Grade Treasure. You have been awarded 1,000 units of Life Essence ]


    [ You have bonded with the Realistic Treasure, "Mana Heart", and your innate Mana levels have expanded by a thousand times. Your Mana Veins are now purified to the highest degree, and can transmit endless Mana ]


    [ NOTE: This might take time. And as time goes by, your Mana Reserves will expand, and your Mana Veins will be purified. Calcted time forpletion may take up to 12 days from now ]


    [ Due to owning such a rare treasure, you have innately grasped the natural AFFINITY of Mana. If strong enough (godly), canprehend the illusory Universal Rule of ¨C¨C¨C ]


    [ Once bonding isplete, you can innately create Mana Essence, that carry the Reality Altering powers of turning/converting things into Mana rted resources; Can generate 1 Mana Essence per day at your Rank. Or can convert a Trillion units of Mana into 1 Mana Essence ]


    [ You have learned the "Philosophical Mana-Kinesis" Unique Technique ]


    "..."


    Damien was speechless. He was genuinely speechless once again. He now had three Unique Grade Techniques, that even Gods would probably lust over.


    But that aside, how vast would his Mana Reserves reach after twelve days, when now, they were elevated by a thousand times? How pure would his Mana Veins be?


    But most importantly, he could create Mana Essence? Like as in a type of Essence as well? Because as far as he knew, not even gods were privy at how to manipte these Essences.


    And he could mysteriously control Mana Essence? The very Essence that make up arge portion of Reality? The very Essence that could alter said Reality?


    The type of Essence that transcended Energy principles? Where it cannot be created nor destroyed, but transformed from one form to another. That type of Essence?


    He could not help but smile. A Daring smile that slightly charmed the staring Flint. ''Really... even if I did not have this great desire to take you all for myself, I think I still would have been obsessed with you. Juliette Silver.'' He thought.

 Chapter 73 An Evergrowing Wolf Tribe

    ?It has been three weeks since the Wolf Tribe had begun expanding themselves at great numbers. And likewise six weeks till Damien and Juliette went on their journey.


    The Gray couple had stayed behind, and watched over their growth. While deciding to take out a few wolves while they were at it.


    And the numbers of wolves they had killed, regardless of strength or level, surpassed ten thousand. It could have been greater than that, but unfortunately, the wolves hadpletely retreated.


    They stopped evening out to scout their territories. Every team would be wiped out regardless. Hence it was useless.


    But the ones to suffer more were the Gray Couple. Without the wolvesing out, they did not dare go inside themselves. That was a suicidal mission even to them.


    "So, what now? We just stand here and hope some more puppiese?" Davidined in dissatisfaction, sitting atop the head of his giant hammer.


    It was nted down on the ground like a tree, the handle being the base. Esther sat besides him on the hammer and did not respond.


    "..."


    David did not seem to mind her silence, and keptining about the wolves. "Aren''t they supposed to be vengeful beasts? We''ve killed a lot of their friends and families."


    "Why aren''t they attacking us? Fuck, why are they even retreating? Some wolves they are. What a disappointment." He did not stop. Esther continued to ignore him.


    Her focus was on a different matter altogether. Today, the wolves from the two other Strongholds of this Cardinal direction wereing. That being said, millions of wolves would be arriving here around today.


    That was the only way they could get the chance to attack wolves in the long run. Problem being that, theing wolves were more in quantity, and less in quality due to doing nothing but running here for a month.


    While the wolves here were less in quantity and more in quality, due to cultivating day in, day out. So the question stands; which group was worth attacking?


    ''I''d lean more on theing wolves.'' She thought, and brought the matter to David. He stoppedining, and smiled brightly at the suggestion.


    "We can finally fight?" He asked, and Esther nodded back at him. "Yes. I figured since my man is battle hungry, I''ll also have to be battle hungry."


    "Oh?" His smile got even more daring, but held himself back. The urge to smack her with a kiss was carefully suppressed. "I also think attacking theing wolves would be much better. But... if we do that. Wouldn''t the chances of us dying be higher?"


    "I want to fight, sure. But if only the chances of us winning are higher than the chances of us dying. So if we''ll just die, I''d rather swallow the urge to fight." He said.


    Esther smiled, and then chuckled. "Well that''s my man. There''s no need for you to suppress yourself for me, you know. I''m a strong woman. I''m Damien''s mother."


    "Not David''s woman?" David joked around, and Esther chuckled at his joke. "Well I could be both. I''m my boys favorite woman and mother."


    "Yeah right." David said. Esther ignored him, and added, "Plus, isn''t it about time we leveled up? We collected more than enough Life Essence to go more than beyond the First League."


    "Yeah, forgot about that." David smacked his thigh in realization. He then called out his Temte to view how much Life Essence they have collected.


    [ Name: David Gray ]


    [Mana: 105 779 378 ]


    [ Epithet(1): Wolf Hunter(Normal -> Grand) ]


    [ ss: Lvl 10 God-Devil Monkey ]


    [ Sub-ss: None ]


    [ Life Essence: 40,663 ]


    [Alignment: Neutral Evil ]


    [ Stats: STR - 2503,0 || AGI - 10,5 || END - 2503,0 || INT - 8,1 || WIS - 11,1 || AFF - 8,1 ]


    [ Stat Points: 32 || Ability Points: 33 ]


    [ Ultimate Abilities(1): Ultimate Powerhouse(1) ]


    [ Unique Abilities(3): Gargantuan(3), Muscle Arm(2), Strength-Based Invulnerability(2) ]


    [ Extra Ability(4): Thick Skin(4), Raw Might(2), Kic Force Punch(1), Fatigue Resistance(5) ]


    [ Techniques(1): Mana Breathing(Gold) ]


    [ ss Abilities(5): Cloud Trekking, Heaven''s Equal, One-Fold Immortality, Monkey King''s Territory, Immortal Physique ]


    [ Equipment(1): Mammoth Hammer(Godly Unique) ]


    [ Resources(1): Tier 1 Beast Core(¡Á19,140) ]


    He checked the amount of Life Essence he had, and then immediately asked Esther what the n was. "As far as I see it, we can easily go up to the Second League."


    "Yes, that''s true." Esther agreed, then suggested, "How about we just use it all up, and then, we''ll collect some more from theing wolves. Now, our aim is not to farm Life Essence but to¨C"


    "¨CReduce the ever-growing threat, huh?" David finished her statement and smiled. "Alright, I wonder how powerful I will be after I level up to being a Master Profession."


    Then thought as he willed The Primordial Source, to burn out all of his Life Essence for a mass evolution.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ You have leveled up ]


    [ Congrattions!! You are now an Adept Profession Combatant ]


    [ You have leveled up... You have leveled up... You have leveled up... You have leveled up... You have leveled up ]


    [ Congrattions!! You are now an Advanced Profession Combatant ]


    [ You have leveled up... You have leveled up... You have leveled up... You have leveled up... You have leveled up ]<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    [ Congrattions!! You are now a Master Profession Combatant ]


    [ You have leveled up... You have leveled up... You have leveled up... You have leveled up... You have leveled up... (¡Á2) ]


    [ Congrattions!! You are now a Great Master Profession Combatant ]


    "..."


    David paused. That was a lot of information to take in, but it was not over. In fact, it was just the beginning of everything.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ Due to your HIDDEN ss, you have spent 40,250 units of Life Essence to Level up consecutively, all the way to Level 31 (Great Master Profession) ]


    [ Your stats have increased exponentially by 63 points for each Stat category ]


    [ You have obtained 168 Distributable Stat Points that can be freely distributed ]


    [ You have obtained 168 Distributable Ability Points that can be freely distributed ]


    [ You Mana has increased by four times for every Level up you achieve ]


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ You have reached the pseudo upper limit of Mana for your potential at your current Stage (Due to unpurifued Mana Veins). To increase your Mana levels, please Rank Up, or use Rare Realistic Grade Treasures ]


    [ Please purify your Mana Veins to exceed this pseudo limit, and trespass into the Domain of the gods in terms of energy Reserves ]


    "Limit huh? So the brat was right." David thought to himself. The word "limit" not sitting well with him. But he was able to swallow down his pride for now.


    ording to Damien, each potential had its limit, and the higher the potential, the higher the limit of stats, Mana, talent etc, that the person could reach at a lower Realm.


    Take having the potential of a god, which was generally considered being a Century Genius at minimum. Geniuses that appear once in a century within a Bloodline.


    This said person could use rare treasures and other means to increase their strengths to that of a god, and their Mana as well. While still being just an Apprentice.


    And if they desired to exceed that limit, they just had to increase their Ranks, which would automatically increase the reserves, hence the limit increasing.


    But of course, in some cases, the real limits are not truly reached. And the reason to that, being the Mana Veins themselves.


    Unprurifued Mana Veins, could not circte Mana beyond the limits of mortals and demigods. Hence creating pseudo limits, which David was experiencing.


    But he was not much worried. Even as such, having Manaparable to the strongest of demigods was still a plus for him. Especially so, when he was just a Great Master Profession.


    He called out his Temte, and viewed the new information. As well as to put in the required modifications for the next uing battle.


    [ Name: David Gray ]


    [Mana: 999 999 999 999 999 (Suffering from severe Mana Excess. Will continously experience great fatigue) ]


    [ Epithet(1): Wolf Hunter(Grand) ]


    [ ss: Lvl 31 God-Devil Monkey ]


    [ Sub-ss: None ]


    [ Life Essence: 413 ]


    [Alignment: Neutral Evil ]


    [ Stats: STR - 2566,0 || AGI - 73,5 || END - 2566,0 || INT - 71,1 || WIS - 74,1 || AFF - 71,1 ]


    [ Stat Points: 200 || Ability Points: 201 ]


    [ Ultimate Abilities(1): Ultimate Powerhouse(1) ]


    [ Unique Abilities(3): Gargantuan(3), Muscle Arm(2), Strength-Based Invulnerability(2) ]


    [ Extra Ability(4): Thick Skin(4), Raw Might(2), Kic Force Punch(1), Fatigue Resistance(5) ]


    [ Techniques(1): Mana Breathing(Gold) ]


    [ ss Abilities(5): Cloud Trekking, Heaven''s Equal, One-Fold Immortality, Monkey King''s Territory, Immortal Physique ]


    [ Equipment(1): Mammoth Hammer(Godly Unique) ]


    [ Resources(1): Tier 1 Beast Core(¡Á19,140) ]


    David went through everything, and did not like the extra information behind his Mana value. Dissatisfied, he immediately spent a few Ability Points on his Extra Skill, [Fatigue Resistance(5)].


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ You have spent 15 Ability Points to Evolve "Fatigue Resistance" into a Unique Skill ]


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ You have spent 100 Ability Points to max level your Unique Skill "Fatigue Immunity" ]


    A terrific sounding Ability. David was satisfied with its effects just from reading the name.

 Chapter 74 Princess Fiona

    ?[ TING!!! ]


    [ You have spent 100 Ability Points to max level your Unique Skill "Fatigue Immunity" ]


    With that, he felt his body lighten, and the information attached to his Mana Value disappear. He now felt more confident.


    He then spent all his points on WIS. In thest few battles, he had fought magic wolves, and had actually, almost, lost a few battles. He even had to retreat from one.


    He did not like that feeling.


    Now, he was going to he careful. As for magic damage, he would leave that to his wife. He was all about his fists and kicks.


    He then spent all his Ability Points to elevate the other Extra Abilities, into Unique Abilities. They had more use, and efficiency this way. "I bet we can now pound those pups, right?"


    "I believe so." Esther also did the same, and pushed herself into a Great Master Profession. But her Stats were not as much as those of her husbands.


    [ Name: Esther Gray ]


    [ Mana: 999 999 999 999 999 ]


    [ Epithet(1): Wolf Huntress(Grand) ]


    [ ss: Lvl 31 Shadow Speedster ]


    [ Sub-ss: None ]


    [ Life Essence: 413 ]


    [Alignment: Neutral Evil ]


    [ Stats: STR - 73,0 || AGI - 8060,0 || END - 580,0 || WIS - 580,0 || INT - 514,5 || AFF - 102,9 ]


    [ Stat Points: 0 || Ability Points: 80 ]


    [ Ultimate Abilities(1): Ultimate Speed(1) ]


    [ Unique Abilities(7): Shadow Traversing(3), G-Force Adaption(Max), Tempest Thunder Form(1), Personal Speed(1), Kic Flow Maniption(1), Shadow Control(1), Wind Control(1) ]


    [ Extra Abilities(0): None ]


    [ ss Abilities(5): Abyss Maniption, Absolute Speed, Chaos Borne, Shadow Realm, Shadow Princess ]


    [ Equipment: Storm Chasers(Godly Unique) ]


    [ Resources(0): None ]


    Unlike David, she already had a Unique Skill that allowed her body to bear great pressure. [G-Force Adaption(5)].


    She then evolved it to a max leveled Ability, thus reducing the weight she felt on her shoulders. Nheless, her Temte was still amazing and, amazing.


    Meanwhile as the couple conversed, below them, under the shade of the gigantic hammer, a young red haired woman sat. She was alone, and quite pitiful.


    She had her knees tucked in, and her face hidden in between. Her red dress held her figure ever so gently, illustrating her curves and charm. But at this moment, all of that could not shine.


    In fact, all her beauty meant jack shit here. Though appearance wise she was more appealing than Esther, in terms of bodies, she paled inparison.


    One could say because she was still growing. But Esther''s body was just that. Superior among fit female physiques. Boarding between feminine beauty, and masculine charm.


    But her problem was not that. ''Can''t you guys just get a room? Like seriously, find some space and give me some god forsaken peace.'' She thought in frustration.


    Right after dying at the hands of Esther, anding back to life, she followed this couple. She had no reason to, especially after dying at their hands, but she did.


    She was lost from her crew, and though hard to admit, was terrified of being alone. Especially so, for extended periods of time.


    Hence she followed.


    Along the way, they let her kill her preys, which were wolves, the weaker ones, and let her cook her own food at times. Well, ultimately they did share food with her, since she could not cook.


    She thus collected around 10,000 units of Life Essence. They helped her level up all the way to bing an Advanced Profession. Increasing her battle prowess.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    She felt like a day spent with these couple, was like two days spent with her group. Which was amazing. No doubt. She saved a lot of time, and was probably a Rank above them.


    Even though they had lower grade sses, with less stricter Life Essence requirements. She felt like she was leveling way faster. ''Could be because they are a lot, and we are only three.''


    ''And, they are hunting ordinary beasts, while these two crazy people are hunting wolves. Wolves far stronger, and farrger than them... Well, I''m benefitting.'' She thought. ''BUT!!! Please, I can''t take this anymore. Get a room you old coots.''


    She also cried to herself. She spent days. Days with these two, acting all lovey dovey, and flirting at every given moment, as if she did not exist. As if she was transparent.


    ''I''m a princess you know!!'' She thought, but even when she said that, she was given a death re for interrupting. And truth be told, she feared Esther deep to the bone.


    A week or two, if not three, of spending time with them, felt like six different lifetimes for her. They treated her so much different than she knew how people usually treat her.


    Firstly, nobody ever dared to send a normal re towards her, let alone a death re. But she experienced quite a few here. So much she felt ustomed to them by now.


    Secondly, she has never been cut, or badly wounded before, let alone being killed once before. Even as the <zing Phoenix>, she never once died. Except through Esther.


    Thirdly, she has never been ignored, let alone treated as if she was transparent. But for weeks, she''s been ignored. And they did not seem to care one bit.


    Fourth, she was spoiled, and given attention. Here? Sometimes, she was told to make the meals. She could now fry some meat, and make a makeshift dough bread. In simple terms, she was working her ass off.


    Which brought us to fifth. She had never worked since she was born. The hardest chore she ever did was cry for her father when she did not get what she wanted as a child.


    Andstly, sixth. She''s never been exposed to such gruesome treatment, where she sat and watched people flirt all day. At this point, she felt like the moon on theirte night convos.


    Sometimes, like the pond they''d stare at, as it reflected the setting sun on an evening date. Or sometimes, like the candle stick that sits in between them during a dinner date.


    Basically, she was the embodiment of a third wheel, an unwanted extra, the prop of the y, the unnecessary one.


    And all of this happening to someone like her, a young princess that just came of age, was too much. ''Waaaaaaa!! I want to go home!! Daddy, Mommy, I''m sorry!! I want to go hoooommeee...''


    "Alright. Let''s move out then." Suddenly, at this moment, David''s voice rang out, as if to alert her that they were moving out. It interrupted the young princess'' bitter cry.


    The young princess immediately woke up, and fixed her bearing. Though she was mistreated, she still acted like a princess. As she should.


    The gigantic hammer then shrank, and the couple jumped off. David took ahold of it, and rested it over his shoulder. She stared at it in amazement.


    At minimum, she believed that this hammer weighed almost a million tons. And this man was handling it like it was nothing? That was impressive.


    The young princess, who goes by the name Fiona, felt like the two of them had a difference in their presence and bearing. For a moment, she felt like she was looking at royalty.


    "Where are we going?" She asked, and Esther replied with a smile. "We are going on another hunt dear. You should prepare yourself okay? Lest you die."


    "O¨COkay." She nodded in response, and then kept quiet. Truthfully, Esther was kind. But then there was a twisted side of hers when it came to her time with her man.


    Fiona had realized this throughout the journey with them. She had adapted to suit their needs. Mostly Esther''s. David was more rxed, and more outgoing.


    "By the way, why didn''t you climb up with us? Is something wrong?" Esther pursued the matter, showing a hint of concern. She had previously apologized for her rude behavior(s).


    And tried to make up by treating Fiona as a daughter. Fiona had also forgiven her, just that, it seemed like Esther was unaware of the murderous gazes she often had.


    Fiona also realized that it was like instinct. And she respected that. ''Only if you don''t kill me miss, I''m alright.'' She thought, and responded at the same time.


    "I am fine, miss Esther. Thank you. I just preferred the shade more. My apologies." She said with reservation in her tone.


    Esther covered her mouth and chuckled to herself, "Fufu, would you look at that. Aren''t you the cute one." She then smiled at her.


    "..."


    Fiona blushed in embarrassment and avoided her gaze. But hidden from them, was a silly smile of content. ''Hmph, yeah, that''s right. I''m cute. Cute. Not kible.''


    She then suddenly thought about it, and wondered where they were going. Last time, they imed that going into the Wolf Den was suicidal. So where now?


    "Uhm, seniors, apologies for my rudeness but, where might we be going?" And she asked again, walking in between the leading David, and Esther behind her.


    "Wolf Hunting." David said. Fiona frowned, and wondered to herself if these two were tired of living. Esther than exined, "We''ll be attacking the iing wolves from both the two other Strongholds."

 Chapter 75 Mass Killing

    ?"Wolf Hunting." David said. Fiona frowned, and wondered to herself if these two were tired of living. Esther than exined, "We''ll be attacking the iing wolves from both the two other Strongholds."


    "What?" Fiona asked back in stupor, but she actually understood and heard them clearly. ''You are not suicidal. My apologies. You are BOTH super CRAZY!! Waaa!! I want to go home, pronto!!''


    And her thoughts would have exposed her. Fortunately, David and Esther could not read minds. "Well, you can stay behind little Fiona. It''s going to be dangerous after all."


    David said, and Esther said from behind. "Yes. You can be as safe as a rabbit if you stay back. Auntie will protect you." She said cheerfully, and almost radiantly.


    ''Miss... do you have a split personality or something? There is no way you can be a cold blooded killer like that. No way.'' Fiona thought to herself in terror. "No. I''ll help. I want to help." And responded as such.


    ''Oh my... did I actually say that? Have I been contaminated by their craziness? And now it''s affecting me..? God please save me.'' She once again cried to herself.


    "That''s great." And once again, the couple failed to see through her. "Yeah, that''s great indeed. I had always wished I had a daughter instead. They seem tame-able." David added.


    "Don''t say that hubby. How would little Dammy feel about that?" Esther pouted, and acted cute. David did not care and responded, "Like Hell I care. A son is too bothersome and wild. Especially that one of ours."


    Then the couple entered yet another bitter sweet argument of jokes and flirting. Fiona who was in between tried her best to ignore them. ''Little Dammy? Not the first time I hear that name pop up. So it is their son. And Sir David, isn''t it a given he would be wild as he is your son?''


    ''I wonder how he is though, when he is raised by such types of people... ah, but he is probably just like them. Or either he is kept in the dark, and is actually a softie.'' She thought to herself.


    Then continued, ''But with a man this handsome and physical, and a woman this blessed, he is definitely a prince charming type of a man right? I wonder how he looks like.''


    And began wondering off into her imaginations. She had no other choice. There was nothing else she could do, either than to listen to them flirt. And she would rather die.


    ~~~


    Minutester, the trio appeared above a boulder and stared down at the iing tide of wolves. From where they stood, a sea of myriad colors was rushing over like a flood.


    Fortunately, it was still miles away from where they stood. Esther expressionlessly watched them, while David had a smug on his lips. As for Fiona, she was terrified.


    ''These two are really crazy. That''s over a million wolves. A million wolves. And you want to dare and attack them? Sir, Miss, there are better ways to kill yourselves.'' She thought in bitterness.


    The Gray couple unfortunately still could not read thoughts. They instead conversed a strategy on how to firsty their attack.


    The first attack, had to always be the most critical one. They must at least deal the greatest damage with their introduction into the battle. "So, any Abilities devastating enough?"


    David asked her, and Esther nodded. "I can use "Chaos Borne". It''s capable of discord and disruption within their circle of influence. And with my speed, I should be capable of killing thousands when caught off guard."


    David nodded, then added. "I have enough strength. I''ll create the perfect opportunity for you. All you have to do is use it to the best of your Abilities. My life would be in your hands."


    Esther nodded at his words. Fiona stood behind and just listened. She also called out her Temte, trying to see if there was anything she could do to help as well.


    Since she was here, and imed that she wanted to help, then she will do it to the best of her abilities. Or else her pride as a princess would be trampled on.


    [ Name: Fiona Vermillion ]


    [ Mana: 12 500 000 000 (Limit) ]


    [ Epithet(1): Princess of Beauty(Normal) ]


    [ ss: Lvl 20 Eternal Phoenix ]


    [ Sub-ss: None ]


    [ Life Essence: 2,567 ]


    [Alignment: Good ]


    [ Stats: STR - 43,5 || AGI - 256,0 || END - 40,3 || WIS - 99,9 || INT - 100,5 || AFF - 56,2 ]


    [ Stat Points: 120 || Ability Points: 121 ]


    [ Ultimate Abilities(0): None ]


    [ Unique Abilities(2): Fire Immunity(4), Fire Magic(5) ]<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    [ Extra Abilities(3): Healing Fire(2), me Barrier(1), Spell Casting(6) ]


    [ Spells(6/9): Fireball(1st), Fire st(1st), Fire Canon(1st), Explosion(1st), me Protection(1st), Rain of Fire(2nd) ]


    [ ss Abilities(5): "Phoenix Fire", "Absolute Immortal Bird", "zing Speed", "Heavenly Fire World", "Halo of Salvation" ]


    [ Equipment(2): Fiery Robe(Tier 3), Golden Wand(Tier 2) ]


    [ Resources: ??? ]


    She nodded at her statistics. She had also reached her limit. People with higher grade sses tend to reach their limits faster, and as mortals, due to its great boost on Mana.


    And as it states, her potential was iparable to that of David''s and Esther''s. But she was unaware of that. To her, having this much Mana at her level was a blessing.


    ''As it seems, I only have my Spells that are useful, the "Halo of Salvation" ss Ability, and the fact that I can heal from the sidelines. That''s amazing as well, from my perspective. It''s better than being of no use at all.'' She thought to herself.


    At the same time, the wolves were getting closer and closer to them. They were a couple of miles away. And any closer, they would be able to smell them.


    "How are we going to start this?" Esther furrowed her brows as she asked. Fiona was amazed at how she was able to switch personalities like this.


    It was amazing. David kept his smile of brutality, and a murderous re as he responded. "Just stay still, and watch. Watch how the big boys cause a... ruckus!!"


    His final word was apanied by a burst of strength from both his legs, denting the mountain floor he was standing on.


    Bang!!


    And like a canon ball, he flew through the air, easily shaking off the wind resistance on his body. He then held his hammer tightly, ready to smash at any given moment.


    The wind brutally struck his face, but that only made him smile even more murderously.


    He finally arrived at his maximum altitude, which was hundreds of miles above ground, and tens of miles above the mountain he was standing on.


    ''It''s rumble time.'' He thought, as his body exploded out with power from the effects of his numerous Unique Abilities. [Gargantuan], [Muscle Arm], [Raw Power] and [Kic Force Maniption].


    And speaking off thest Ability, throughout the time that the wolves held up within their territory, he had been assessing this Ability.


    Back then, he felt all his idea impossible due to the Ability''s low level, and his limited amount of Mana. But now that that was covered, he was looking forward to what more this Ability could achieve.


    Meanwhile, the twodies watched as David reached his highest altitude, and slowly descended. Then from a slow descent, to a much faster descent.


    After all, his body density was increased along his level. While his hammer alone weighed a million tons... And this was still its pre-awakening stage.


    Hence the gravity of the world pressed down on him more than average, and including the less wind resistance he recieved, led to increasing his speed of descent.


    "Ah... I now see what he''s nning." Esther said in shock. She knew her husband was simple minded when it came to battle, but she never knew that even with great power, he was still simple.


    ''...I thought he was going to throw a mountain or something. I guess I was wrong.'' Fiona also thought to herself, watching as David was almost about to reach the ground.


    And just as he was about to strike the ground, in the middle of the entire wolf army, he let out a bellow of excitement. "OOOOOHHHHH!!!" And caught the attention of the entire wolf army.


    ''Is he stupid?!'' Fiona gaped at the sight of David''s recklessness. And Esther also face palmed herself, "Oh my..." Her husband was...


    The alpha wolf of this whole pack heard the cry of murderous intent as well, including all of its pack. They all paused and looked up, but regrettably, they were all toote.


    By the time they stopped abd gazed up, David had brought down his hammer and struck the ground with full force and ferocity. Giving out the image of a meteor crashing on the ground.


    Boom!!


    And the collision with the ground, shattered the very sound barrier itself. Yet miraculously, the ground was not shattered. No tremors spread out everywhere.


    No force was exerted on the ground. But instead...

 Chapter 76 Daredevils I

    ?David was a daring man. Ever since he was a child, he would do what others considered impossible. One, for the sake of proving himself to his parents.


    And two, just to stand out from his peers. He was born a Gray, with a famous mother, and a powerful father. And even amongst the entire lineage of the Gray Family, they both stood out.


    Whether be those that focused on their mental capabilities, or those that focused on their physical capabilities, the both of them were among the top.


    Yet in this New world of Gaia, the status of technology greatly decreased, hence those that focused on their mentality, were reduced in status.


    That being the case, for the most optimum path to keep the Bloodline at its highest state, was the physical route. Which all second generational humans were forced to take due to body evolution.


    And being a Gray, David stood out. Hence why he had a prideful disposition, and a great need for battle. He was born under such circumstances.


    He grew up fighting his father, uncles, aunties, cousins and even non family members. He fought so much, to the point where fighting just became a part of his personality.


    Just as how Esther''s killing was a part of her personalities at this point. Or maybe Damien''s indifference. It was part of being a Gray. The hidden most Superior Bloodline of humanity.


    ''And I''ll continue to forever prove my Bloodline. My son will also do the same. And my grand children too. The Gray Bloodline, will forever stay Superior!!'' He thought to himself, his body increasing in size.


    At the same time, he struck the ground with ferocity. But unlike his usual rampage, the hammer did not shatter the ground, or cause any tremors.


    Instead, using [Kic Force Maniption], he redirected all the weight and power of the hammer to bounce off the ground, or rather reflect itself.


    This way, all the damage worth over a hundred million tons, was reflect on the ground like light on a mirror, as pure force damage that decimated an entire area over tens of miles rose up.


    Boom!!


    And regardless of how powerful the wolves around him were, they suffered over 100% of the damage delt, and were torn apart into a rain of flesh and blood.


    Especially so, when he targeted the wolves at the central area, where mostly were Tier 3 (Advanced) and Tier 4 (Master). They were incapable of defending even when using their Evolutionary Abilities and other Abilities.


    "Awoo..!!"


    "Aw..."


    "Awawaw..."


    The wolves cried out before they died. And even some died without letting out a single cry. The entire wolf army was bbergasted.


    They stopped dead in their tracks, and watched the rain of blood and flesh paint the floor. While at the center, a man stood with a smile of pleasure and excitement on his face.


    Then it clicked to them that an enemy was upon them. They snarled at him and rushed over without any hesitation whatsoever. The wrath and sadness within their eyes being their fuel of motivation.


    Whether they were the Tier 1 and Tier 2 wolves at the back, the Tier 3 and Tier 4 wolves sorounding him, the Tier 5 and Tier 6 wolves at the front, they all rushed over.


    They did not care about their death. But they cared more about David''s death. Regardless, the enemy had to die!! Or... so they thought.


    Because just as over a million wolves charged towards him from all directions, a ck sh of light appeared above the alpha wolf''s head.


    The ck sh then revealed itself to be Esther, who was ready to piece through the gigantic alpha wolf''s neck. Her timing, her speed and her analysis were spot on.


    She moved just as the alpha wolf was sure that they would swarm and devour David. But unfortunately for her, this wolf was still a Tier 7 beast.


    A demigod equivalent beast, a Third League entity, and a holder of a Divine Evolutionary Path. It was powerful in its own right as well.


    A golden glint shed through its eyes, and a green shade cloaked its fur. Then with fast reflexes, it moved its head so fast, it appeared as a blur, and snapped towards the figure of Esther.


    ...!!!


    Unfortunately, it realized that it''s teeth snapped at an after image. Esther herself appeared above it''s head in yet another sh of ck light. And in her hands, was a thin needle cloaked in purple-ish red aura.


    And without wasting much time, she struck towards the alpha wolf''s head with all her strength. The alpha wolf also instinctively reacted, and activate another one of its Evolutionary Ability.


    It''s fur turned a sheen of gray, and became metallic, reflecting the sun''s ray. And when the purple-ish red aura cloaked needle struck its head, a metallic sound rang out.


    Ki~iing~<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Boom!!


    Followed by an explosive burst of simrly colored aura that spread out to cover almost two hundred miles of range, tearing, breaking or deforming every wolf within its range of influence.


    More wolves were killed, than when David made his move. Hence attracting the attention of the wolves once again. They paused once more, shocked and confused, as they turned back.


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    The battlefield was silenced. Even Esther was shocked. From her knowledge, her ss Abilities were capable of affecting even gods to an extent. But there was something she did not know as of yet.


    Her ss Ability could skip over eight Ranks, due it being a Hidden ss. And a Greater Divine ss could skip five Realms. The five canceled five from the eight, making it that: during this battle, the alpha could only affect those of its same Rank with its Evolutionary Abilities, while Esther could now affect those three Ranks above her.


    And the current alpha wolf was a Tier 7 wolf, two Ranks above her, meaning that it barely, barely, almost made it out alive from this small exchange due to its luck.


    The aloha wolf realized that it survived the exchange, and immediately jerked its head up, throwing Esther away.


    It then shed a green shade over it''s fur, and chased after her. Esther also did not stand still once shended on the ground. She immediately kicked off the floor and transformed into a ck sh of light.


    And behind the ck sh of light, was a green blur chasing after. The both of them moved at insane speeds, and entered deep into the army, Esther still being ahead.


    The wolf army stood still in shock. They were bbergasted, and did not know what to do in their current situation.


    Should they help their leader, or avenge their fallen brethren? They thought. Yet the attacks did not give them that much time to think about anything.


    David took ahold of his hammer and smashed it down. This time around, he shattered the earth within the same range of around thirty miles, and sent out a powerful shockwave that pushed the nearby wolves back.


    At the same time, notifications bombarded his vision from The Primordial Source.


    [ Congrattions!! You have killed a maximum number of one hundred thousands Wolves ]


    [ Your Grand Dual Epithets, "Wolf Hunter" and "Wolf Huntress" have evolved into a First State Mythical Epithet ]


    [ Wolf Hunter (MYTH-1) :- One who has killed too many wolves to count, and can ascend to godhood with how much negative karma against the wolves you have umted. Once equipped, this Epithet allows you to deal 100% more damage to wolf or any wolf kind, and also receive 10% damage reduction from wolves or their kind ]


    "..."


    David was impressed. No wonder he felt like the force of his hammer this time around, was more heavier and more powerful. It was because it was enhanced two fold.


    The wolves were awakened with this small action of David, and immediately rose up to charge at him. While some that dealt in speed, chose to target Esther.


    Meanwhile, Esther herself was in a pinch. Throughout the chase, she suddenly felt her movements stop. As if she froze through time, in the posture of running.


    ''...!!!''


    She suddenly realized that she could not move, and felt her blood run cold. ''I am sorounded, and It''s behind me!!'' She thought, and indeed, the alpha wolf, that stood at almost twenty meters in height was behind her.


    It''s maw alone was capable of swallowing her whole in one bite. But such a scene did not ur. Instead, from out of the blue, a human sized fireball struck the wolf on its cheeks.


    Boom!!


    The fireball exploded, and misdirected the head of the alpha wolf to miss its target. Then another fireball, then another fireball, and another one. A series of shots that struck head on.


    Boom!!


    Boom!!


    The effects on Esther''s body also wore off, and she retreated as fast as she could. She was impressed and thankful, even though she felt like it was unnecessary.


    At the same time, she looked up and saw Fiona raising up her hand that held a wand towards the sky, while her other hand was pointed towards the alpha wolf. Charging up yet another fireball.

 Chapter 77 Daredevils II

    ?Princess Fiona, watched as David caused mass devastation towards the army of wolves. Just the first move, and he killed over thirty thousand wolves.


    It was an amazing feat. One that she saw for the first time ever since knowing him. ''I knew he was freakishly strong, but not THIS strong. That''s mythical!!''


    She rooted for him subconsciously, like a fan girl hyping up her idol. But then it clicked to her that there were still over a million wolves sorounding him. ''Uh-oh. This is bad. He''s going to die!!''


    She thought and turned to Esther, who stood besides her, but to her surprise, there was no one besides her. Nor behind her. ''Where did she go? She didn''t run away, did she?''


    But as she thought of that, an explosion within the battlefield caught her attention. She hurriedly turned over, and there, she saw Esther attacking the alpha wolf.


    ''OH MY LORD!! IS THIS WOMAN REALLY INSANE?!'' She thought in pure shock, her hands on her head. But most shocking, was the damage that Esther did.


    She had killed a number of wolves that was almost ten times that of David''s. Yet regrettably, the alpha wolf was still alive. ''Of course it''d be alive. It''s the papa wolf!!''


    From there, she saw Esther retreat, and David attacking once more. The fact that they took into attention each other''s situation, yet did not seem to care, would always amaze her.


    ''Welp, it''s time to help. At this point, there are still over a million wolves within this encirclement. And one of them is directly at the center of it all. I have to help.'' She thought in attempt to boost her moral.


    She first sent 80 Ability Points towards two of her Spells. 50 on "Fireball", and 30 on "Rain of Fire", transforming both into Third Cycle Spells.


    She then raised up her hand to the skies, and began chanting her spell. "O'' Prgatory, Shower thy enemies with mes. Rain of Fire." She said, then without pause, she repeated.


    "O'' Prgatory, Shower thy enemies with mes. Rain of Fire." And repeated once again, "O'' Prgatory, Shower thy enemies with mes. Rain of Fire."


    She cast, and cast and cast without much care of her reserves. The wolf army was quiterge, hence she felt like she needed to umte her Spells together.


    Even if it meant a reduction in quality. Then while she was casting, she suddenly saw the situation be dreadful. She saw Esther being attacked and froze in ce.


    ''Wait, why did she stop? Hey!! Move move!! It''s catching up to you!!'' She thought, yet Esther kept still. Fiona felt her blood freeze, and her heart beat increase. ''What, What should I do? What should I do?'' She thought in panic.


    Meanwhile, another portion of her mind still kept the forming magic array above the battlefield stable. ''I don''t know what to do. I, I...'' She grit her teeth, and at the heat of the moment, did something she deemed reckless.


    ''I really am going crazy.'' She thought, casting yet another spell, while keeping the formation of another one active. "Judgement mes, Star Above The Skies. Fireball!!"


    She chanted, and before her palm, a gathering of mes appeared. Then twirled like a minimized spiral of mes which grew to her size. Fiona smiled at her aplishment, and released the fireball towards the alpha wolf.


    It''s power was so much, it directly pushed her back a step or two, and almost broke her concentration. It was also now she realized that she was sweating buckets.


    "Huff... Huff... Huff... No time to rest. A life is on the life here." She thought, and chanted yet another Fireball Spell, and upon releasing it, she began on another one.


    The first fireball she released immediately struck the alpha wolf on the face, misdirecting its bite to miss. It shook its head in irritation, and turned to the direction of the fireball.


    But at that moment, another one struck its face, pushing it back. It did not feel much pain, but the irritation and explosive force were still enough.


    When it cleared the smoke from the second fireball, the third struck straight on the head, being the final string that helped Esther escape.


    And even though Fiona got paler and paler, and wobbly on her feet, she was still determined to help as much as she could. After all, ''My trump card is about to be finished.'' She thought.


    Concurrently, Esther who gained her movement back, immediately retreated as fast as she could. In just a couple of seconds, she traversed a million miles, and beganying waste to the weaker wolves.


    She simultaneously activated [Tempest Thunder Form] and [Wind Maniption] Unique Abilities. Her body became cloaked in lightning, while mini tornados circled her limbs.


    Her eyes shed out blue lightning. Her speed also greatly increased, and she traversed the back lines of the army like a blue-ish ck sh of light.


    Her hand snuffing the life out of every Tier 1 and Tier 2 wolves on her path. Meanwhile, David also stood his own ground even when bombarded from all directions.


    He used [Strength-Based Invulnerability], and obtained defense values in the hundreds of millions just like his strength value. And against these wolves, his damage value was doubled.


    Hence so were his defenses. Including his gigantic size, he was able to ughter any wolves of the First League like a madman.


    The alpha wolf paused in its steps, and watched the ughter fest take ce. Every passing second, tens of wolves would die. And no matter how it saw the situation, both David and Esther were threats.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Plus, they would sooner orter grow tired. And by that time, the numbers would swallow them. That being the case, the most optimum choice would be to attack someone more vulnerable.


    Someone like...


    "..."


    It moved its calm eyes from the battlefield, and towards Princess Fiona, who now focused solely on her "Rain of Fire" spell.


    She sensed the murderous gaze of the wolf, and by chance, exchanged gazes with it. The young princess froze, and did not know what to do. There was still a few seconds before she could stabilize her reckless actions.


    ''Oh no.'' She thought in shock and fear. And to her horror, the alpha wolf took off and sprinted towards her direction. It was fast, and would easily be able to climb the mountain in no time.


    Especially so, when it''s fur glowed a brief shade of green, hence increasing its speed to even greater heights. ''Oh my god, oh my god!! It''s really attacking, its really attacking!!''


    The young princess thought to herself in shock. But then a momentter she smiled. She wasn''t alone after all. She had back up.


    The charging alpha wolf suddenly felt danger from behind, and stopped in its tracks. It then rolled aside. And from where it previously stood, struck a giant hammer that shook the earth.


    Following that, a streak of blue-ish ck light collided heavily onto its body. The damage was null, but the force was there, and it was able to push it back a few meters.


    The alpha wolf then steadied itself and stared intensely at Esther. The cold blooded assassin also stared back at it, unyielding. The situation remained as such, until the words of Fiona rang out throughout the battlefield.


    "FINALLY!! HAHAHA, BURN TO CINDERS YOU STINKY WOLVES. RAIN. OF. FIIRREEE!!!" She finally excitedly cast the spell that she consecutively cast so much, she almost had a mental breakdown.


    Following her words, the sky suddenly turned a shade of red, and illuminated the soroundings as if Hell was about to descend. And it was so bright that, even people at the Shade Stronghold could view it.


    After that, the red clouds then began spitting out fireballs the size of an adult human. And their numbers, were frighteningly amongst the hundreds of thousands.


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    Everyone was shocked. Be it the alpha wolf, Esther, David, or the other wolves of this pack, they all looked up in stupor. ''Was this even possible?'' They thought.


    Esther then shed away, and instantly appeared besides Fiona. She held thetter, and dashed away in a streak of lightning sh. David also used his gigantism to advantage, and leaped off the ground.


    With his strength and size, he was able to leap over thousands of miles. And he did not stop there, he kept leaping and leaping, as if his life depended on it.


    Because... it actually did.


    The alpha wolf also ran away. The wolves themselves did not wait for amand and also ran away. Regrettably, not all of them were that fast or fortunate.


    The numerous fireballs reached the ground at fast speeds, and eliminated the entire battlefield like the setting sun. Every other color being overshadowed.


    And seconds after...


    BOOOM!!!


    A world ending explosion spread out, shaking the ground even millions of miles away, where Esther and Fiona stood. One was lying down in exhaustion, and the other was looking back in amazement.


    A few minutester, David appeared. He shrank in size and stood besides his wife. His body bloodied all over. Yet he ignored that and only smiled brightly.


    "Damn, girl. That was some fire spitting you did right there. That was badass." He said, and Esther revealed her usual smile and nodded. "Indeed. You''re amazing. If only Dammy and Julie could see this."


    She thought in slight bitterness.

 Chapter 78 Its Not All About Me I

    ?Back to Damien.


    The duo, had flown for quite a few minutes after recovering their Mana, using the few resources they had. Damien had drawn a small array, that helped increase their Mana faster.


    And now, both of them were suspended above a small garden that stretched out for thousands of miles. They stood there mid air, looking down on the picture scenery of nature.


    Damien had his wings that shown with a metallic luster, pping from time to time. They were also cloaked in grayish mist, that also coiled around his figure.


    From his guess, this was the Universal Law of Ash. But since he was weak, and still had less Mana, he was only able to tap into its Affinity stage so far.


    Yet that was amazing in and of itself. It still made him seem like a god amongst men.


    Meanwhile, Flint floated besides him, his legs releasing a small burst of mes. The mes were unnecessary, since demigods were innately capable of flight.


    But he found it cooler this way. Plus, they also acted as materialization of his pure Affinity of Fire. Hence both men looked godly, one more godly than the other.


    "Sir Damien, what might we be targeting here? I don''t sense any threatening presences nearby." Flint started the conversation. By now, he was getting used to Damien''s presence.


    He could now speak even when ignored, and act as if everything was normal. In simple terms, he was a chatterbox at times. And knowing Damien, he''d notment most of the times.


    "Hm. There''s no god, nor a demigod in this garden. So you can let down your guard." Damien responded, still apathetic and stoic as always.


    Flint nodded with a smile. "Is that so? Then let''s go down? I''m curious what kind of treasures we''ll find this time around. An artifact? Or something more badass?"


    He said, while descending down towards the garden. Damien followed, and gave his response. "None the likes of that. If anything, we are going to be farming crops."


    Flint turned around and faced him, still descending, "Huh? Farming? You don''t seem like the type of god to be doing some farming." He said in surprise.


    "You don''t seem like the type of god that can be useful as well. So shut up." Damien responded inly, and Flint nodded as his response. And really kept his mouth shut.


    For a while, though. "So, what are we farming?" He asked in a cheerful mood. And as expected, Damien responded. "Not necessarily farming. We are here to collect a few high grade resources."


    "Resources?" Flint asked in curiosity. Damien nodded, "Yes. In simple terms, I am here to collect supernatural and magical nts and fruits." He said.


    "Oh." Flint turned back around, and he was presented with a beautiful scenery of the garden. The trees were lusturious, and vibrant.


    The trees were even greener than green. The atmosphere was pleasant, and the soil was shining gold. Okay, that was an exaggeration, yet it was not far from that.


    "Woah. This is a small garden?" Flint eximed in amazement. This ce was more beautiful, andrger than his previous hometown.


    "Yes. Its small, but still a portion of a Stage 2 Realm. It''s like a Haven even for the most influential of gods in this world." Damien said as he came to float right besides Flint.


    "..."


    Flint nodded in admiration. Ever since knowing Damien, he had gained numerous hints of knowledge. And throughout this time, he also learned about Damien''s character.


    Firstly, the man rarely smiled, or became active. He felt like the passive type of proactive people. Strange types of beings, but yet possible.


    Secondly, he was indeed apathetic most of the time. Even when facing dangerous people, such as the two gods they previously met. Yet was also quite social.


    ''It''s strange. He''s like the definition of a person whose an introvert-extrovert, or an extrovert-introvert. Like in between the two, with characteristics of both.'' Flint thought to himself.


    He cleared his thoughts and then focused on the real deal. The matter at hand. "What are those?" He asked, his gazending on a group of tall humanoid beings.


    "Trolls. To be precise, a variant species of Trolls. The Khloris Trolls. A variant of "green skinned" and "herbal loving" Trolls found within natural flower gardens such as these." Damien exined.


    Flint nodded, taking in the knowledge given to him. His eyes then shed in intrigue as he continously assessed, "So are they bowing down to us? Or am I seeing things?" He asked.


    "They are." Damien said, and then descended. Flint followed after him. He then added, "They have no gods of their own. Or rather, most races this side have any gods at all."


    "You guys are just an exception. And even then, throughout your n, there were only less than five gods. You not being one of them." Damien concluded.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "There was no need for thest add up though." Flint said in despondence. His ancestor being a god was okay, but why was his fiancee and adopted little sister also gods?


    It made no sense.


    "O'' gods above, please spare us from your presence, spare us with your great mercy. And spare us of your prominent visit." Suddenly, as they descended, Flint could hear what the kneeling and bowing Trolls were saying.


    Their heights were around three to five meters, making themrge. Yet before the visage of the two young man, they seemed small. "Oh?" Flint eximed in interest. "What are they saying? Trollnguage?"


    "Reign yourself. That''s just the propermon tongue... He''s just using it in a unique way." Damien reprimanded. Flint immediately changed his expression. "Y-Yeah. Rx sir. I''m calm, I''m calm." He said.


    Damien ignored him, then finallynded before the six meter tall Khloris Troll. It''srge size defined its status among its people, hence why hended before it.


    Flint alsonded, putting out the mes soroundong his body. Damien also unfurled his wings, retracting the gray mist around hi., and set his gaze throughout their soroundings.


    He ignored the Khloris Troll chief. Instead, his apathetic eyes went through the hundred or so Trolls around him.


    The female Khloris Trolls dared not raise their heads. The male Khloris Trolls lowered their heads when his gaze went past them, and the children... stared in curiosity.


    Flint was also appraising the Khloris Trolls. Especially so, their physiques. They had powerful bodies, and well endowed figures. ''Wow, those abs look appetizing.''


    "They''ll easily crush you even if you''re a god. Reign yourself, I said." Damien reprimanded without even looking. Flint immediately averted his eyes in shame. ''Yes, yes.''


    "O'' lord gods above, for what may you have descended upon us for?" The Khloris Troll chief spoke once again as Damien ignored its presence and prior words.


    Damien then finallynded his gaze back at it. He kept quiet for a short while, making sure that the target was as nervous as they could be.


    Since he was treated as a god, and using the status of one would benefit him, he saw no harm in posing. Though he believed he was not a good actor. "We need something of you."


    He said when the Khloris Troll chief was about to break down. This being was just a Grand Master Profession, and it''s ss was probably below Divine.


    Not everyone was as lucky. And even if the Divine sses were numerous, this world alone contained quintillions of living beings. Not everyone could obtain one.


    While there was Damien; under the effects of weilding not just one, but numerous Unique artifacts. That alone brought out immense pressure.


    Then being besides a literal god, Flint, made that even worse. And another thing he was unaware of, was his gaze. It was cold, predatory and mostly, apathetic.


    "What may that be, my lords?" The Khloris Troll chief trembled slightly as Damien''s gaze fell upon it. It then responded as carefully as it could.


    Damien also responded just as fast, "We are not your lords, nor your gods. Just strays." He said, then added, "We are looking to collect a few of your ntadeus. Even seeds are more than wee."


    The Khloris Troll suddenly sighed at hearing such a simple request. It then nodded and responded, "As you wish my... as you wish, your divine eminence."


    He then stood up, andmanded his people to do as Damien requested. Afterwards, he lowered his body, and presented a path towards a well made hut. "Your divine prominence, if you may, we would like to serve you our best drink as we wait." He said.


    Damien nodded then took the lead, and Flint obviously followed. His eyes mostly on the Khloris Trolls making a ruckus, moving here and there. ''Damn. Having status is amazing.''


    The duo then entered into the oversized door, and within the hut, were presented with a traditionally well decorated room. Within, were a few female Khloris Trolls of high beauty.


    But Troll beauty standards, were different from those of humans and the Falsarians. Hence both men were not one but tempted.


    Instead, with extreme focus and intriguity, they moved towards the table at the center, and sat down. It was full of fresh fruits and a pinkish purple drink.


    The Khloris Troll chief was thest to enter and sat himself down. He personally served the drinks with a forced smile, and then said in high spirits. "Please, your divine prominences, dig in to your heart''s content."


    "..."


    "..."

 Chapter 79 Its Not All About Me II

    ?"Please, your divine prominences, dig in to your heart''s content." The Khloris Troll chief said in high spirits, and the duo briefly exchanged nces.


    Then Damien took ahold of the wooden bowl he was given, and drank the pinkish purple liquid within. Flint and the Khloris Troll chief were watching with bated breathes.


    "..."


    After a moment, he drank the whole bowl, and ced it back on the table. Flint then asked, "How was it? Is it good?"


    "If you want to know, drink it." And Damien responded as such. Flint did not mind the response and changed his question, "Is it poisonous? Or venomous?"


    "...You must be an idiot to ask me that question. Who knows." Damien said inly, and began on a red fruit that resembled a giant grape. He ignored Flint from then on.


    Flint sighed and drank the presented drink. He first took a small sip, andmented. "Hm. Quite sweet. But it has a bitter taste hidden deep within. It''s amazing."


    The Khloris Troll chief nodded at his words and added, "We are most pleasured you love our specialty. It''s called Rapon. A mixture Green Salmites and saturated milk. It''s good for increasing vitality."


    He said in high spirits. Flint nodded as he took those words to mind. He then took ahold of a green star-like fruit, and bit into it. "Ohh? So this is the Green Salmite? It''s sweet. Super sweet."


    Hemented. The Khloris Troll smiled the more they dug in. Meanwhile, as for Damien, he did notment and just ate whatever was on the table.


    It''s been quite a while since he ate. Ever since they left Falsar, they had not eaten anything. Hence they quickly cleared out the table that could feed an entire ball room of adults.


    After a while, they sat there satisfied. Flint then alsomented subconsciously, "Maaaan, I feel so full, and dizzy. I think I drank a lot of Rapon. Aaahhh." He let out a sigh of pleasure at the end.


    "..."


    Damien did not say anything, but had his hand on his head. The Khloris Troll chief said in high spirits, "Hahaha, that''s Rapon for you, your excellences. It has a powerful effect on the body."


    "But as gods, you should not suffer much from it. By the way, your excellences, how are you feeling?" He asked, now with a hint of of concern.


    "..."


    Damien did not respond, but Flint did. "Tired. I feeeeel tired. My head also hurts like damn. Hey, how do you clear off these effects?" He then asked.


    "Oh, that? Please give us a moment." The Khloris Troll chief said with a smile, and lightly pped his hands. The female Khloris Trolls then left the room after a bow.


    Then momentster, right after they had just left the hut, a group of Khloris male Trolls entered the hut. In their hands were sharpened des, and powerful clubs.


    The Khloris Troll chief then said, "Allow us to present to you, another one of our specialty. The fastest entry towards Hell. Get them!!"


    The male Khloris Trolls then charged towards the duo, ready to murder at any given moment. The Khloris Troll chief also pulled back and took out a wooden wand.


    Damien finally changed his posture. He turned his head to look at the Khloris Troll chief. Flint also raised his head to look at the attacking Khloris Trolls.


    "Ayii, man, is everyone this unreasonable and bloodthirsty?" He asked. He was more than used to such treatment. After all, his people used to sell him to hunters from time to time.


    He never even knew why he was being targeted. Especially so, as he never left the vige since he was adopted into it. "Should I kill them?" He asked.


    "Do as you please." Damien said, as he circted his <Infernal Energy Cirction> Technique, and burned out the potent poisonous effects that were applied within his body.


    As for Flint, he was a god. He nodded, and waved his hand before himself, releasing a powerful wave of mes that pushed the multiple Khloris Trolls back.


    The strongest of them was just a Great Master Profession. They could not defend against his attack containing an Affinity of Fire, and were heavily wounded.


    All the while, Damien easily unfurled his wings, and powered them with billions of units of Mana. Grayish mist then instantly spread out throughout the room, and suppressed the Khloris Troll chief.


    "Wh¨CWhat?! You... You are really gods?" He asked in stupor, as he was already forced down on his knees. Damien did notment at first, and took out the Null de.


    "I understand yourck of trust. I also understand your anger. Also, your intent to take our lives. But... if you have such an intent directed at others, expect it to simrly be directed back at you."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Life is like a mirror. You do good, you obtain good as a reward. You do evil, you obtain evil in return. You simply reap what you sow. Meditate on that in the after life." He said, and swung his de, beheading the Khloris Troll chief.


    He then turned around to leave. He did not even collect anything within the hut. There was nothing worth his attention.


    Flint stood up and followed after him. He nced at the headless body of the Troll chief, and shook his head in pity. ''You reap what you sow, huh?''


    Along the way, Damien realized that the Khloris Trolls that attacked them were still alive. They were only badly wounded, and burnt, but ultimately still alive.


    "I didn''t kill them. I felt like since they were following orders, they did not deserve death." Flint said from behind, and Damien did notment.


    He instead left the hut, and outside, he saw numerous Khloris Trolls looking at them in fear. He once more set his gaze on each and every one of them, and they looked down in fear.


    Flint did not enjoy this scenery as much as he did the first time, but he also said nothing. But he still did not like being feared. ''It feels strange.'' He thought.


    Damien unfurled his wings and flew up, floating at the center of the Khloris Troll vige. He empowered his voice with Mana, and apathetically said, "I''ll give you a few minutes to sort yourselves out, and give me what I desire."


    "If by then I do not have it." He paused, and did not finish his words. The Khloris Trolls below him were scared shitless, and immediately scrambled about.


    Flint flew towards him, and did the spectating. He was not used to this life, but he also did not seem to dislike it that much. At least... they were not tantly killing anyone.


    A couple of minutester, Damien was presented with a small crate. The female Khloris Troll that brought it to him was trembled all over.


    She had her head lowered, and raised the opened crate above her head. Within the crate, were golden brown round seeds the size of a person''s nails.


    "..."


    Flint flew down and took ahold of the crate, and flew back up. He wanted to at leastfort her, but felt like it was unnecessary at the moment.


    He brought the crate to Damien, and Damirn sent it into his inventory of the Void Keeper artifact. Then he sat his eyes on the female Khloris Troll, and said. "You''re the lead gardener here?"


    ...!!!


    The Khloris Troll was shocked at first, and almost found herself on the ground. She grit her teeth and lightly nodded her teeth.


    Damien then added, "That''s good. I am fair... or so I would love to believe. Are you up for an exchange? I''ll give you these in return." He said, and waved his hand.


    Abruptly, a gold glowing white transparent crystal, a golden fist sized sand stone and a beautiful white-gold crystal appeared before her feet, shining with lustor.


    They temporarily blinded her with their magnificence. And the pure Mana they released, made her hold her breathe in shock.


    ...!!!


    It then clicked to her what they were, and hurriedly fell on her knees. She then kowtowed and said with a trembling tone. "My... My lords, what would you like from our humble race?"


    She asked. The other Khloris Trolls bowed after her. With their chief dead, his younger sister temporarily tookmand of the situation. And if she bowed, who were they not to bow?


    Damien watched everything transpire and said, "I would like herbs, fruits, vegetables and other resources of simr value you have in your garden. As much as you can offer. Is that usible?" And asked.


    "Ye¨CYes!! Ple¨CPlease give us a moment!!" And the female Khloris Troll said before standing up and rushing towards the depth of the garden. She did not even touch the Mana resources.


    Flint watched everything take ce. He had learned yet another lesson today; the hearts of living beings could easily be manipted.


    And this man before him, was good at that. How did he go from the most feared person, to the most revered person in just mere minutes? Wasn''t that amazing?


    ''Wait, hold on. Hold on. Isn''t... Isn''t this how it urred to me?'' He thought, being dumbstruck. ''No way. No way no way no way. This man is dangerous.''

 Chapter 80 Its Not All About Me III

    ?Momentster, the female Khloris Troll brought with her, man pulled carriages, which were being pulled by the much stronger males. She then bowed once again, and presented it to Damien.


    Damien set his gaze onto the resources, and nodded in praise. Flint was also impressed at the numbers alone. ''These are magical herbs?''


    The female Khloris Troll then began introducing the different asserts she brought. Her tone was careful, and servile. "On this first carriage, we have the "Aromatic Basil", fresh and healthy."


    "They can be used to add vor to any dishes, or to any alchemical products such as potions and medicines. It''s desired use is only that, hence why it''s of low value. We, we would like to exchange each stack, for a single Mana Stone."


    She said, looking up in apparent fear. A stack contained hundreds of Aromatic Basils. And even if they were Low Tier 1 goods, they could sell a single stack for two Mana Stones.


    But she put herself on the lower end, and settled for half. Damien did not stop her. He was no Hero, nor a Saint. He nodded his head in agreement to her suggestion.


    The Khloris Troll was more than d, and hurriedly introduced the second goods. "We also have thr "Purple Sage". A nt perfect for making Tier 2 medicinal potions or remedies. We are willing to sell¨C"


    Damien raised his hand to cut her off, and took it from there. "A Mana Crystal for every batch of "Purple Sage", a Mana Stone for every batch of "Mary Rose", a Mana Stone for every batch of "Hazel Dill"."


    "..."


    The Khloris Troll woman was surprised, and nkly nodded. From the deal, she was losing out. Especially on the Mana Stone part, but she had noints from her side.


    But then, Damien''s next set of words changed that beliefpletely. "In fact, for every batch of Tier 1 resources, I''ll throw in a Mana Stone. The same for Tier 2 batches, I''ll throw in a Mana Crystal. Applies to Tier 3 batches if you have them, I''ll give you a Mana Core in exchange. Any adds up?" He asked.


    And she only stared up at him in stupor. This way, ording to her knowledge, he was losing out. A batch of low grade Tier 2 resources, were only half a Mana Crystal.


    Let alone a batch of low grade Tier 3 resources. They weren''t even worth a single Mana Core. Only high grade resources of the same Tier, were equivalent in value.


    But she also said nothing to stop him. She hurriedly nodded her head, and presented the carriages to him. "Then please, do as you see fit with these resources, my lords."


    Damien waved his hand, and collected everything within his storage. In total, there were ten types of Tier 1 resources, seven types types Tier 2 resources, and four types of Tier 3 resources.


    A hundred batches for every resources. In total, he lost a thousand Mana Stones, seven hundred Mana Crystals, and four hundred Mana Cores in an instant.


    Such splunder was something only the gods that had lived for over a thousand years could muster. And here Damien was replicating the same action, while being sixteen years of age.


    Less than a hundred years old inclouding his previous timeline. But he was not done. "What about the fruits, vegetables and others? You don''t wish to exchange them?"


    The Khloris Troll woman smiled and hurriedly nodded her head, "We most certainly do, my lords. Please give us a moment."


    Damien nodded. At the end of the day, by the time they left, the Khloris Troll n had thousands of Mana Stones, thousands of Mana Crystals, abd thousands of Mana Cores.


    The wealth of the older gods that have lived for over thousands of years. ''Maybe with these much resources, we can nurture an epic warrior of our race. And maybe, even a legendary warrior. Or a god!!''


    The Khloris Troll woman thought in enthusiasm as Damien and Flint left. There was no goodbye or the likes. None from both sides. They were not friends after all.


    Meanwhile, Damien and Flint flew for thousands of miles and finally rested on a in field. Damien then took out a Green Salmite and threw it to Flint.


    "Ah? Thanks." Flint caught the fruit, and bit into it, enjoying the sweetness it brought to his mouth. He then suddenly thought of a question. "I never thought you''d do cooking or the likes."


    "I don''t." Damien said in response. Flint then frowned and inquired, his mouth still full. "So why are you collecting so much food ingredients? Are you a gourmet?"


    "Do you even know what a gourmet is?" Damien asked back after giving the young man a side nce. Flint did not respond and only chewed his Green Salmite.


    Damien then added, "I''m collecting them for someone." Flint hurriedly swallowed, and almost choked. But he ignored that, and immediately asked, "A woman?!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "...Why are you so excited?" Damien looked back at him inly. Flint cleared his throat, and once again, did not respond. ''I was just curious whether a stone cold hearted man like you actually has a love interest.''


    He thought. Not aware that his fiancee, was just about to meet Damien''s own... fiancee? Damien then emphasized on his words, "There are in fact, for some people."


    "Alchemy resources for my woman. Food ingredients for my mother. And possibly... poisonous others for my father." He said.


    Flint paused, and subconsciouslymented out loud. "He really does have a girlfriend." Then he froze, and looked up at Damien, who was staring back at him.


    "Haha, what did I just say? Oh silly me, I meant what a filial son you are. Haha. Is your mother a chef? Your father an assassin? That''s amazing. Haha." He awkwardly sang, and Damien only shook his head.


    ''Hey, please, at least say something. Don''t just shake your head as if I''m a lost case!!'' Flint thought to himself, and then changed the topic. "By the way, you really are thoughtful."


    He looked up. It was already dark, and the sky was full of stars. He smiled and added, "I honestly thought you were on a journey to obtain treasures and stuff for yourself."


    "..."


    Damien followed his gaze, and for a moment was silent. He then sighed, and said, "I used to be like that. Young. Free. And unrestrained. But times change. Now, my focus is not only myself, but my loved ones, and my entire race."


    He said. Flint gave him a brief nce from the corner of his eyes. This version of Damien was more expressive, and quite, sad. ''Used to, huh? In what lifetime? And speaking of which, how old are you?''


    He thought, immediately disregarding the somber atmosphere. He was not good at such atmospheric grounds to begin with. "So, anyway, where to next?"


    "We will go collect an inheritance, from there, you will have to try your Level best to be a god. I gave you enough faith, and you have to absorb it."


    "Once you ascend, you would be able to easily take on the Realm Guardian and Vergil even if it''s two against one... Maybe not easily, but you can win nheless."


    "From there, we take rulership of the Realm, go deeper into the cave, collect whatever we find in there, then retreat... And go home." Damien said,ying out his entire n.


    It was also the first time that Flint obtained aplete n of what they would be doing from now. He nodded, and lied down. "But we are resting for now, right?"


    "Mhm." Damien hummed a response. His eyes staring at the dark skies full of shining stars. ''Juliette, I wonder what you''re going through right now... But I do know for a fact that those pixies... got on your nerves.''


    He thought, picturing the image of the young girl that was still pure and humane. But unfortunately, no matter how much he tried, this image of Juliette... was mixed in with hints of future Juliette.


    "Hey, what kind of inheritance are we searching for?" Flint asked out of the blue. Damien did not look back at him, and responded. "Who knows."


    "Come on, sir D, don''t be like that." He said in high spirits. Damien sighed for the nth time, and took out the Null de. "Sometimes I wonder what killing a god feels like. It''s been ages since I''ve killed one."


    "..."


    The young man kept quiet, and began counting the stars. He chose to stay mentally safe, snd not entertain those words. He was a god for crying out loud.


    "On second thoughts, killing you is unnecessary. Tainting my artifacts with your blood will be eternally unpleasant." Damien then said, dealing a critical hit to Flint''s feelings.


    But he did not stop there. "Call me whatever you like from now on. I will also begin calling you Fly boy. Or Sparky? Maybe Candle boy. We''ll see which fits your better."


    "..."


    Flint kept quiet, and kept counting the stars. But now, he was counting with a cloudy gaze, as his face was full of tears. ''This man had no funny bones.''

 Chapter 81 Mysterious Helpers

    ?Adison''s Mansion


    Within his personal study


    The young man sat down with knitted bros. But the frown on his face failed to take away his charm, yet it still felt unnecessary being there.


    "It''s strange. I can''t tell whose behind this. And ording to you,dy Nine, you also don''t know?" He said, and raised his head to look at the cold faced beauty sitting before him.


    "..."


    Ninth softly shook her head without saying a word. She was mostly a cold beauty, and rarely said anything. Unless of course, triggered by Sixth.


    "Wow. I never thought things would be this tough. And here father is promising a reward to anyone who can find out these people''s identities." Adison added with a sigh of defeat.


    He then recalled the conversation he had with his father, and also his other siblings, who, as well, were fighting for authority over the Stronghold.


    It was yesterday morning when his father called out a meeting with everyone. Adison included, alongside his mother. And his other mothers as well.


    They sat within the round table of the castle, and stared in silence. The table was quiterge, and had twelve sits around it, which was where they would sit.


    One belonged to Adison and his mother, E. She was a plebian woman, with extreme beauty. Which was also where Adison inherited his charm from.


    Another belonged to his eldest brother, Axel, and their eldest mother, Georgia. And unlike his mother, she was the daughter of the richest merchant within the Stronghold, Mr Bambino. She had status and beauty.


    Another belonged to their eldest sister, Amy, and her mother, their second mother, Diana. She was the younger sister of Giorgia, and their background was a bit... peculiar. They were also the most fiece amongst all mothers, going against the other.


    Then another one belonged to their second sister, Adriana, and her mother, their third mother, Filliona. She was also a plebian woman, whom her father was a farmer.


    She was married due to his father owing the farmer a lot, hence he chose such a paying method. She was also the least loved wife, and his mother''s best friend. They were like sisters together. But somehow, Adison felt like Adriana did not like him.


    And then, there was Alison, and his mother, Hannah. She was a refugee, who had somehow escaped from a kidnap, and was rescued by their father.


    But that aside, he and Adison were born on the same month, same day, same hour. And somehow, closely resembled each other, excluding the hair color.


    Adison had dark hair, and Alison had white hair. Both had their father''s blue eyes. They were also considered the youngest brothers, and treated like twins most of the time. More strange, their mothers were the same age.


    Then there was the sit that belonged to the youngest mother, Tatyana. She was within her early twenties, and was already pregnant, expecting a prophecied daughter.


    Andstly, was the throne of the city lord, their very father. "I wee you, all of you. And I know it''s rare to be around each other, and especially so, when some of you clearly don''t like each other."


    He said nonchntly. He was a thin man, with a thin physique. Yet that thin body of his, clothed luxuriously, hid powerful strength and speed that rivaled that of a pro diator.


    Even the infamous Gray Devil, once praised him for his strength, speed and techniques. He also once survived an assassination attempt, and even killed the assassin himself.


    He was a famous warrior, Allianz the human beast. And when he spoke his words, the eldest mother and second mother scoffed at each other, averting their gazes from the other.


    But Allianz, their father, ignored that. He then said, "But that is of no concern. Instead, we have a pressing matter on our shoulders. I am sure you are all aware of the rising threat of the wolves?"


    He asked, and the children nodded sternly. He then continued, "As we all know, as things seem, danger ising as fast as a lightning bolt. So, Axel, what are your thoughts on the matter?" He inquired.


    Everyone was briefly surprised, but not overly. It has been weeks, and in fact, over a month, yet their father never brought out the probelm.


    It was a surprise for the children, but they knew their father. And knew deep down, that this man had his own ns. So behind the shadows, they always prepared for such a moment toe.


    Axel stood up and cleared his throat to speak, "Father, I for one, believe we should charge up and snuff the problem while it is at its earliest stage. This way, we will experience less loss."


    Allianz nodded, and then moved his gaze to their eldest daughter. She stood up and gave her response. "I think we should consider asking for help. Things don''t seem easy at the moment. And our strength alone, cannot bear this threat."


    He nodded once again, and moved on to their second sister, Adriana. And she... did not stand up, nor did she show any respect. Her arms were crossed below her chest, and she coldly said, "Move on."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Allianz just nodded, and said nothing to her attitude. His gaze just moved from Adriana to Adison. Meanwhile, Adison was whispering with Alison, "Big sis Adry is still as fierce as always."


    "Yeah." Alison nodded. Then seeing that their father''s gaze was on them, they kept quiet. Adison then stood up and said, "Father, I support eldest sister. But I believe we can consider asking for help from the Gray¨C"


    "Moving on." Allianz cut his words short, and stared at Alison. Adison stood still embarrassed, his mouth still opened, half way through his input. He then shut his mouth, and sat down.


    "...Are you okay?" And Alison ignored his father''s gaze and asked Adison in concern. Adison forced a smile and nodded. "Yeah, don''t worry about me. I''m alright."


    "That''s good." Alison said, and then turned to his father. "My opinion matches that of Adison. So I bet you would not like to hear it either, right, father?" He said.


    Allianz once again nodded and then said, "In that case, I''ve heard enough. But are you all aware of the beings doing our work instead? Secretive rats sneaking among the enemy lines?"


    "What?"


    "Who?"


    "..."


    "..."


    "Oh."


    The children eximed with their own unique responses, from the eldest to the youngest respectively. But two out of them instead kept quiet.


    Adriana due to not giving a single hint of care to the whole situation. And Adison, who had a slight clue who they could be. In his understanding, only the Gray House could do this.


    "Just as I said. There are some people eliminating the growing threat for us, and pushing back the wolves every passing day. Our scouts obtained a glimpse of their battle prowess." Allianz said.


    Adriana then scoffed at him, and questioned defiantly. "So, if they are doing your dirty work, why do you mind? Is it not a good thing that at least someone is doing something better for you?"


    She asked, her tone full of spite. Her mother, Filliona, hurriedly tried to dissuade her. "Ady, don''t be like that to your father. At least show him some respect. Even if it''s fake."


    "Yes, Ady. Even if you can not respect your father, at least respect us for him. Please?" E, Adison''s mother also added. Adriana then kept quite and did not speak anymore.


    Her respect for her mothers was apparent, just as much as her disrespect for her father. And she did not try to hide it. As if saying, ''I''m only keeping quiet because my mothers said so.''


    Allianz ignored it all, and instead responded to her spiteful words. "I would not mind under normal circumstances. But we do not know which Stronghold they hail from. Or which race."


    "Because the power they hold, is not something the likes of us, or any Stronghold around here can fathom. So we have to at least know, whether they are humans, or not." He concluded apathetically.


    Then added, "Which brings us to today''s matter. I would like for you all to at least try, and find out who these people are, and where they belong. Anyone who can find that out, will temporarily obtain the right to the throne." He said.


    ...!!!


    The children vying for the throne perked their ears at those words. Especially the eldest brother and the eldest sister, as well as Adison. Adriana and Alison did not seem to care much about it.


    "If you understand, you are all dismissed. You women remain, the rest, leave." He said, and it was also the moment when Adison stopped thinking back to that moment.


    He once again sighed, and sat back on his throne, looking up at the ceiling. Ninth also did not speak, and admired Adison''s handsome disposition.


    Everything was at peace and tranquility. But as always, peace neversts. At that moment, a knock could be heard from outside his study.


    Knock~


    Knock~

 Chapter 82 A Troublesome Class

    ?Knock~


    Knock~


    "Hm?" Adison sat up straight. ''Could senior Sixth be back?'' He thought. The cold blooded man had went out to buy something for himself. Today was a good day since it was a day off.


    Thinking up to there, he casually responded. "Come in." Ninth also did not hide considering that even she thought only Sixth would visit Adison thiste.


    But what both of them failed to consider was that, Sixty would never knock if he was the one behind the door. And thus, the door was opened, and a ck haired beauty walked in.


    "Little brother, I have something to tell... you." She paused, as her eyes immediately met those of Ninth, who also looked back at her in shock and silence.


    "..."


    Adison was shocked at the whole scenario as well. He found himself staring staring both his sister, and the youngest assassin of the Gray House, eyeing each other carefully. ''Uh-oh.'' He thought.


    The study room wasid with silence. Two beauties stared at each other, and the only guy within the room, stared at both of them, dreading his own future.


    He was dreading the fact that his sister might tell his parents, and that might just put them in danger. Or the fact that Ninth might attack just to silence her.


    Anything was possible. He had yet to forget his status within this whole situation. He was a future pawn, secretly being sharpened by a venomous organization.


    The status quo remained the same until a momentter, when Adriana suddenly closed the door behind her, and silently locked it.


    "..."


    "..."


    She then crossed her arms, and leaned on the door. Her eyes yfully drifting on Ninth, she then said, "My my my... Little brother, I never knew you were so bold enough to find yourself a woman."


    "Or maybe is she a spy of yours? Hm. At least you got taste. She has... quite the figure." She said in a yful tone, mischief now dancing within her eyes. "Have you already...?"


    "NO!! I mean, no, big sis, it aren''t like that." Adison hurriedly said, but Adriana ignored him and continued to appraise Ninth. "Hm. Hm. What nice curves. A perfect plump chest. A well drawn face. Can you take off that mask?"


    She asked, and Ninth hurriedly shook her head. She did not think much about it, and continued her appraisal, "A secret rtionship? Nice. Unfortunately you''re sitting down, hey, missy, can you at least get up for me?"


    She asked, and this time, Ninth found herself standing up. ''No!! Lady Nine, don''t listen to her. I beg you, sit down!!'' But Ninth could not read thoughts. Which was unfortunate.


    "Can you twirl around for me? Hold on, slower. Don''t be shy, big sister won''t bite you." Adriana kept speaking, and Ninth awkwardly followed her instructions.


    Adonis was shocked. It was as if the cold beauty he knew was just all an illusion. Because right now, the Ninth before before was absolutely cute, and just cute.


    "My my, you also have a perky ass. You''re perfect through and through. I''m jealous." Adriana finished her appraisal, and then told her to sit back down.


    She then moved towards Adison''s side, and stood behind him. And gently massaged his shoulders, and continued taking control over the situation.


    "Little brother, whose doll is this? Howe big sister dies not know about her?" She asked, and Adison felt awkward. He looked at Ninth, but the girl only stared down at her feet.


    "..."


    Adriana saw through their interaction and smiled. "Oho? Another secret? It''s alright. She seems more like a spy, than a potential doll for me. What a pity. Anyway, about what I came to tell you..."


    She paused, then stopped massaging his shoulders. Her tone then changed as she asked, "Is it alright if I speak before her?" And whispered into his ears.


    "..."


    Adison first thought about it, and realized that since he was at their mercy, they would force the information out of him anyway. So he nodded to avoid the whole scenario.


    "Hmm... Alright. About father''s preposition. I know who it is that is killing the wolves. And which Stronghold they belong to." She casually said while continuing her massage.


    "Really?" Adison asked in intrigue. Ninth also perked her ears to listen. "Yes, really." Adriana sternly nodded. Then she added, "You can also send your little spy to go and verify if you don''t trust me."


    "No, I trust you." Adison said with a bit of force. This sister of his normally would not even give him this much attention. And most times, she was just bullying him.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    If he had a weak self esteem, it would definitely be her fault. But today, for sone reason, here she was, acting all close and loving with him. He wondered why.


    "That''s great. So, as for who it is, would you believe me if I told you that it''s actually rted to the Gray House?" She dropped the bomb, and both Adison and Ninth looked up at her in shock.


    "I''m not lying." She faked a pout and said.


    "I... I didn''t say you were, big sister. I was just shocked, that''s all." Adonis said in a bit of surprise and perplexion. ''So it''s really rted to them, isn''t it? But do we have proof?''


    "By the way, do you have a ss?" Adriana changed the topic, and Adison nodded. She then looked at Ninth, who hesitated for a long time and then nodded.


    "Great. So do I. Mine is a Supreme Divine ss, The Seeker. It allows me to obtain either information or clues of whatever I seek. And I used it to find out who it actually is that made that old man so unsettled." She said.


    "..."


    "..."


    Adison and Ninth then nodded. Adriana then smiled, and did not even bother asking what their sses were. Instead, she nted a light kiss on his cheek and left.


    "Well that''s all, let big sister not disturb you two lovebirds. Enjoy the night. Mwah~" And just like that, she was truly gone.


    Adonis waited for a moment and when he was sure that she left, he hurriedly lowered his head and apologized. "I am really sorry for my sister''s behavior. She definitely acted that way to make fun of me. Please don''t take herments to heart."


    "It''s... Fine." Ninth replied softly, her head lowered. Below the table, she was nervously ying with her fingers. Meanwhile, Adonis felt more dread. ''She... She hesitated. I''m so dead.''


    And thus, the room wasid with silence until Sixth returned. And as expected, he did not knock and just roughly opened the door. "Nine, I''m back. Damn, business was horrible tonight. Hm? What''s with the somber atmosphere?"


    He inquired, frowning slightly. Adonis then hurriedly began exining the situation, afraid that if Ninth spoke, she might make matters worse for him.


    "Mhm. Mhm. The fact that you let something like this ur, means that you still need more training. Maybe I should report this to the High Lady." He sighed and sat down besides Ninth.


    "I''m sorry." Ninth meekly apologized. Sixth gently rubbed her head, and added, "Don''t worry. You''re still underaged, so maybe it''s understandable that you would make such a mistake."


    "..."


    She did not respond, and just nodded. Sixth then wiped off the smile on his face, and stared down on Adonis. "But really... you are the most stupidest person I''ve ever met."


    ''Huh?'' Adonis felt surprised. And shocked. He then mustered up the courage to ask why. "Uhm, how, how am I the dumbest person you know?"


    "You just are." Sixth scoffed at him. ''Figures.'' And Adonis was not surprised. Sixth then added, "The Seeker, was it? The fact that she was able to obtain information about us through desire and just curiosity is terrifying."


    "..."


    Adonis did not say anything and just listened. But his heart was already palpitating, terrified of the solution where they would have to silence his sister.


    After all, Ninth might be cute, but Sixth... this man was a genuine cold blooded assassin. He definitely would not hesitate. And indeed, he saw the light within Sixth''s eyes drop by a shade.


    "Meaning that it should not be hard for her to be able to tell who we are. Even with Hidden sses, I doubt she would fail at obtaining a single clue that we are rted with the Gray House." He said, his voice bone chilling cold.


    ...!!!


    ...!!!


    And it then clicked to both Nine and Adison, that Adriana was not just fooling around when she struck up a conversation and an interaction with Nine. She was actually at work.


    "No way..." Adison''s face almost lost all color. His vision went blurry as his thoughts went on an overdrive. But the most dominate one''s being, ''Big sister... might die. And it''s all my fault.''


    Ninth felt more ashamed, and secretly clenched her fists. She seemed to be in an internal struggle with herself. While Sixth''s cold eyes stared straight at Adison.


    The room temperature dropped by more than ten degrees celcius. Fear and killing intent spreading out within the room.

 Chapter 83 Killing For A Different Purpose

    ?Within apletely sereneke, in the middle of nowhere, one young man and one beast battled it out against each other.


    Boom!!


    A space shattering explosion rang out across the smallke, kicking up a volcanic eruption of water and seaweeds into the sky.


    Bang!!


    Followed by the dull collision sound of a toppled building. The young man had sent a powerful punch towards the giant serpentine creature, pushing it towards theke''s surface.


    Rooaarrr!!


    The beast itself managed to stop itself from falling over, and let out a powerful roar of anger. Then it took in a deep breathe of air, causing strange sounds within its stomach to ur, like boiling water.


    Gulugulugulu~


    ...!!!


    The young man seemed to know what wasing, and immediately pushed himself back using the mes that burst out beneath his heel.


    The beast then released a volcanic st of water towards his direction. The young man being far back, had enough time to avoid the extremely fast hydrost.


    "..."


    He willed the fire below him to erupt, hence pushing him higher. But the beast did not want to give up, and released yet another hydrost towards him.


    But the young man this time dodged sideways. He also easily avoided the nexting attack by going down, and the other one by simply going up once again.


    Taking the given opportunity, he also released multiple fireballs towards the serpent just as it had finished attacking him.


    Bang!! Bang!! Bang!!


    The fireballs struck the beast and exploded out with the force of an atomic bomb, dealing critical damage to its body. But it''s scales managed to protect it from most damage delt.


    ''Strong scales. An impressive physiology.'' The young man, who just so happened to be Flint,mented to himself in greed.


    Rooaarrr!!!


    The serpent let out yet another roar of anger, unsettling theke waves and causing them to dance widely. ''And I seem to have angered it.'' He continued his thoughts.


    This creature was a mythicalke monster, a creature with a regional divinity. Or in simple terms, the seperntke god, and it has been living here for hundreds of years.


    It was a genuine lesser god, and had great power, just like any other god out there. But Flint was an anomaly. And also a demigod. Hence he took up the challenge.


    The serpentke god looked up at him in anger. The more it stared at him, the more it''s wrath was fueled up. Especially so, when Flint was clearly me attributed and it was water attributed.


    ROOAARRR!!!


    And reaching extreme rage, it let out an even more powerful roar, forcing the water to spiral around it like a whirlpool. ''Woah!! That''s amazing. That''s cool.'' Flint thought.


    But as he had such a thought, the serpentke god exchanged nces with him again, and this time, it''s eyes gave off a green glow for a brief moment.


    "Wha...?!"


    Ba-dump~


    And Flint felt his heart beat freeze, followed by his whole body being suspended mid air. ''What? What''s going on? My blood!! My blood has been frozen?!'' He thought in dread.


    Gulugulugulu~


    His thoughts were then shattered by the threatening sound of boiling water within the serpent''s stomach. ''Oh no...'' He dread hising future.


    And as he dreaded, the serpentke god released another volcanic eruption of hydrost directed at his body with full ferocity.


    Yet at this moment, a grayish ck blurry light appeared between him and the iing hydrost, and crossed a pair of metallic feather wings before themselves.


    Boom!!


    The hudrost collided heavily with the wings, and forcefully pushed both Damien and Flint thousands of miles back, and out of theke''s boundary.


    Bang!!


    The both of them crashed heavily on the ground, wet from head to toe. They then both stood up, and Flint was the first toment. "So that''s the power of a Law? It''s amazing. I can already feel my body screaming in difort."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He said, full of praise and wonder. Damien himself did not say anything, and just took out the Null de. He was ready to go all out, but Flint held his hand.


    "Wait, I''ll do it." He said sternly. Meanwhile, his gloves gave off an intimidating glow of pressure. Damien saw that through its five slots, were Mana Cores put within.


    "..."


    He then put away the Null de, and stood aside. Flint smiled, and thanked him. "Thanks. I promise I''ll finish with him in no time."


    He then brought both his fists together, fist bumping himself. But as his fists collided, red sparks flew out, and danced around his hands like thousands of snakes.


    Bang~


    Damien also realized that the golden glow within the Mana Cores, had taken an ominous red color, causing the Cores to slightly tremble. ''He''s ying with fire.''


    Flint knew that of course. But his physique, abilities and Affinity were all leaning towards fire. He believed in himself, and believed that he was loved by the mes.


    "Alright. Here I... Go!!" He kicked off the ground, and like a fiery red light, he instantly appeared before the serpentke god. He then packed up a punch, and threw it directly at its face.


    "STELLA ERUPTION!!" And he roared out loud as the five Mana Cores slotted within his gloves burned out into pure ste force, which allnded on the serpentke god.


    BOOM!!!


    And the result of it all, was a massive explosion that pushed out, and evaporated the water within theke that stretched out for thousands of miles in range.


    "..."


    Damien did not say anything, and calcted that the force within that punch alone, wouldpletely destroy a, if not multiple of them as it rivaled an imploding sun.


    ''Indeed, demigods and gods are truly the scourges of space.'' Hemented to himself, being sure that something like that might not kill a god, but it would at least cripple it.


    And truly, the serpentke god was not dead. Instead, ity weakly on the bottom of theke, with no water anywhere. Only rising mist from all the evaporated water.


    "..."


    Flint descended towards it, ignoring his hand that was dripping blood like a broken tap. He stared at the god losing its breathe at every given moment, with a wound that dug out half of its face, revealing its bones and flesh.


    Damien came to float besides him, and quietly asked, "Are you not going to finish it off?" Flint paused, and kept watching as the serpentke god lost its breathe. "Is it worth it? It''s going to die anyway, isn''t it?"


    He asked, shrugging off his shoulders. But Damien thought otherwise. He turned around, and flew off, leaving behind a set of words. "Sometimes a man kills not because he wants to inflict pain, but because he wants to lessen the suffering."


    "..."


    Flint paused once again, and thought on those words. He then took yet another careful nce at the dying god, and truly realized that it was suffering as it died.


    He forced himself to float down, andnd on its chest, pressing his unharmed hand on its chest. "Goodnight." He said and then sent out heat within its defenses, heat so hot, it rivaled that at the core of the sun.


    The heat directly struck the god''s heart, bypassing the weakened Law, and silencing it instantly. He then stood up, and looked down on its corpse. ''One moment a god, another a corpse. Is this world so... cruel?''


    He shook his head and sent its corpse into his storage pouch, and hurriedly followed after Damien''s figure. Today''s lesson was well learned.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ You have killed the lesserke god, Inchijon. You have obtained 13,8 World Essence (13,8 Million Life Essence) ]


    [ Due to being an entire Rank Lower, your obtained World Essence has doubled. Due to being of a Lower Existence, your obtained World Essence has tripled ]


    [ You and your partner have obtained 35 World Essence (35 Million Life Essence) ]


    The notifications immediately came through just as he was done with his thoughts, and Flint marveled at therge numbers. Killing a single god, the weakest of them,ted him so much Life Essence?


    This was a cheat code. Then a thought suddenly appeared in his mind, ''Won''t I be invincible if I just attacked lesser gods just like this?'' He thought.


    But immediately banished the thought. It definitely was not that easy. Especially so, if gods had Laws protecting them at all times. He thought, turning to Damien.


    Damien was already at the center of theke, where a small pond could be seen. Within, there seemed to still be water that failed to evaporate even under Flint''s intense mes.


    "So, the inheritance is inside?" He asked in curiosity. He was out of the somber mood he was in moments ago, and back to being himself.


    Damien nodded in silence. This inheritance was something he, himself had found back then. He found it during the early periods of the change, and then sold it off to a passing elf.


    Which he greatly regrets even to this very day. Had he not sold it, maybe humanity could have prospered or something.

 Chapter 84 The Inheritance

    ?Yearster, that inheritance which he deemed useless due to its grade and requirements, became one of the very reasons why the elves became even stronger, and almost surpassed the other major races.


    As for what it was? It was a secret.


    Damien jumped into the cave, and miraculously, appeared head first out of a different water surface. As if he had just dived in the water, and now was popping out.


    The water here was greenish blue, and crystal clear. Flint also appeared just as Damien did, and he surveyed his environment. "Woah. This ces is... actually amazing."


    He thought in wonder and amazement. Damien did not speak and just floated towards the surface. Flint then coboratively followed after him, like a baby duck.


    When they both finally got out of the water, they saw a different passage leading deeper into the cave. "More passages." Flint scowled, his thoughts going back to the cave with the gobling lurkers.


    "Rx. There''s nothing down here." Damien said, and Flint chose to believe him. ''If you say so, Mr Know-It-All.'' And just like that, a returnee and a demigod, went through yet another cave.


    And indeed, just as Damien had said, there was nothing within the passage that brought out any form of caution from Flint. All the way till the end of the passage.


    "..."


    Though surprised, the young man was more than happy about this new finding. The fact that he would not fight yet another battle was a plus sign for him.


    And within the cave, they were met with a single treasure chest, and a book. Nothing else. Not even a bed, nor a chair. It was empty, and instead full of sadness.


    "Uhh... Should I ask?" Flint said, and Damien ignored him. He instead walked towards the treasure chest, and ced his hand over it.


    "..."


    Flint pretended as if he was not ignored, and went over towards the book. He picked it up, and swallowed the urge to ask what it was all about.


    Meanwhile, before Damien and the treasure chest, appeared a screen of light. One vey much simr to that from The Primordial Source.


    [ Wee. Testing for Mana requirements... Testing... Testing Sessful ]


    [ Testing for all physical requirements... Testing... Testing sessful ]


    [ Testing for all mental requirements... Testing.... Testing sessful ]


    [ Wee, once again. Please input the type of ss desirable for this Inheritance... ]


    Damien nodded to himself. This was the first step that he failed at thest time. Back then, his mental and physical requirements were sessful, but his Mana requirements were not.


    Later, he learned that a person had to be at least at base, ten times faster, a hundred times stronger and have a thousand times more Mana than his supposed Rank. And apparently smart.


    Having more Mana than one''s Rank was actually quite hard. Especially so, when your ss was just an ordinary "Axe Master" ss with no special effects.


    "No changes." He said. He could actually change the ss, but unfortunately, he did not have the current resources to do so.


    [ "Knight" Inheritance has been chosen. Would you like to do any modifications on it? ]


    "No." He inly responded. Same reason as before, no required resources to make any changes he desired.


    [ Affirmative. "Knight" Inheritance has been chosen. No modifications made. Would you like to advance the Inheritance''s grade? ]


    [ Current Grade: Mundane ]


    After seeing this text, Damien immediately changed his responses. "Yes." He was a tad bit nervous, as he was not sure if this would work out or not.


    [ Affirmative. What type of resources would you use to upgrade the Inheritance''s grade? ]


    "..."


    Damien did not speak, and instead took out a Cryz Stone, aka, a Stone of Evolution. He ced it on the text, and it was fluently swallowed, as if it was sinking in water.


    [ Resource obtained... Resource under scrutiny... Resource under appraisal... Resource under testing... Resource scrutinized ]


    "..."


    He waited with bated breathes, as the next text sent, could be the deciding factor to whether humanity would rise to the next tform. Because if not... that meant more work for him.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    [ TING!! ]


    [ Resource perfectly matches the requirements for evolution. Required number of the same resource: 1 000 Cryz Stones ]


    Damien sighed in relief, and immediately took out the required number of Stones of Evolution. He put them all within the text box, and silently waited for the results.


    [ Evolution taking ce... Please wait a moment... Evolution underway... Please wait a moment... Evolution sessful ]


    [ The Mundane "Knight" Inheritance has evolved into the Unique "Holy Knight" Inheritance ]


    [ Is there any other changes you desire? ]


    "No." Damien said, and the transparent texts then disappeared. Along with their disappearance, the treasure chest opened itself up, revealing a bronze key.


    Damien took ahold of the key, and stood up to leave. There was nothing else he would find here. But just for the sake of "What if?" He stopped, snd checked for any secret passages or the likes.


    Since this could be a different timeline, nobody knows. He thought, and faced Flint, who seemed absorbed into what he was reading.


    An idea struck him and he did not banish it, "...It''s said that that thing is cursed. Reading it, and you shall have a fate far worse than his. A rumor though."


    Damien said as he left. Flint reflexively threw the book away in fright. "I am just joking." And Damien''s voice travelled all the way back to him from the passage.


    "..."


    Flint stood there bbergasted at the whole situation. ''You can actually joke? No, hold on. Jokes aren''t supposed to be these emotionally hurtful!!'' He thought and took another glimpse at the book.


    At the end, he gave up on it and left. It was all about how a man lost his wife, due to not being enough for her. Even after sacrificing everything he had, including the world for her, she still left.


    Worst of all, she got together with his enemy and nemesis. The rest were too spicy to mention, but the poor man suffered. She even did the deed right before him, with his enemies, when he was at his weakest.


    So just to be on the safe side, Flint did not want to experience anything simr to that. Even if he and Fou never worked out, it didn''t have to be to that point. ''Nope.'' He added.


    A few momentster, Flint appeared out of the small cave they entered. And when he looked up, he saw Damien sitting besides the small pond, looking up.


    Flint then chose to follow his gaze, and to his surprise, or not... there was a group of something resembling sand people, with butterfly wings floating up there.


    They were humanoid, and had long ears, as well as beingpletely made up of sand. But their wings seemed to have life into them, as they seemed like genuine butterfly wings.


    "And these are? Your friends, sir Damien?" He asked, half curious, and half teasingly. Damien responded, "No. They are unfinished products. Offsprings of the one who you just killed."


    "Hey, we killed it together. Don''t me it only on me." Flint retorted back, and Damien nodded. "Yeah, my bad. We murdered their parent, and made them orphans. Good job us."


    "...You, aren''t taking them serious are you?" Flint sighed and walked out of the pond. Damien stood up and nodded. "I do not. But I so wish I could... just as how serious you were about killing that god."


    "..."


    "I am just joking." He added, and Flint felt the corner of his eye twitch. ''I think I should teach you the definition of a joke.'' He thought in resentment.


    "So... what now?" Flint asked. Damien had already taken out the Null de. But Flint stopped him. "Wait, wait. Hold on, we are actually going to kill them? Just like that?!"


    "We killed their parent, did we not?" Damien inly asked. "Yeah, but..." Flint tried to defend himself, but Damien added. "Just like that. Same process."


    "...Where is your godly logic when it''s needed?" Flint dreaded by himself. He felt reluctant to kill them. Especially so, when not given a reason to.


    As for why he could kill the serpentke god, inchijon, he had a reason. Or so be believed. It was that without killing it, they would not obtain what they desired.


    "If you really feel sympathy, we can leave. But like wolves, these things will forever remember this grudge. Our karma will be tainted." Damien added after a moment of silence.


    "But they can''t catch up to us anyway. So let''s just leave." Flint beamed at that response and suggested. Damien looked at him, and then back at the byproducts of a god''s experiment.


    "Lost Essence." He said, unfurling his wings and left, transforming into a trail of light. Flint smiled, and soon followed after him without looking back.


    The sand creatures tried to chase after them, but unfortunately could not catch up in speed. Thus after a minute of chasing, they hadpletely lost their target.


    Meanwhile, Damien and Flint flew tens of thousands of miles, and stopped at a mountain range. Theynded directly on one of the tallest mountains.

 Chapter 85 Ability Evolution

    ?"Thank you." Flint said just as theynded. Damien did not respond to him for the most part. He just said, "This ce is perfect. You can try and breakthrough here."


    Then he added, "As for that little encounter, don''t mind it. I kill what I kill, to achieve what I desire. There are no values into that. But there is a higher chance of living, if you do not willingly challenge me. A chance." He emphasized.


    "I see..." And Flint nodded. He now understood. Life would not always be about standing in each other''s path. Sometimes, you have to kill, even if the person did you no wrong.


    Just like how they just killed an innocent god moments ago. Or just like war. "And one more thing... regardless of how, or what, no god is innocent in this world. That is my own belief." Damien added.


    "..."


    Flint stood there speechless. He was alright with everything else, but to doubt gods to that extent? What did they ever do to him? And does he register the fact that I am a god too?


    He thought to himself.


    Damien saw through his thoughts, yet had no response. Instead, he brought out yet another matter. "There are ten or so days left till we can return home. You should really start on your path to bing a real god."


    He said casually. Flint then came to realization and asked back. "And how should I do that? Normally, I heard that we absorb faith. But it''s not that simple right?"


    "Yes." Damirn nodded, and borated. "First, you meet all requirements to ascend. Enough Mana, a high Affinity and and peak level of a mortal. Andstly, you have Faith and a divine lineage."


    "It should be simple for you to ascend." He said. "First, take out the barrel of Faith I had given you back then." Andmanded. Flint followed through with themands.


    "Try your very best to try and manipte the faith within the barrel. Just send your will into it, and try to let it move without using your hands. Will it to move. For the will of a god, can easilymand faith." Damien further instructed.


    Flint sat down cross legged and did as instructed. He called out the barrel of faith from his storage pouch, and ced it before him.


    Then by opening the lid, he revealed a sea of golden glitter resting idly within. It was sparkling and silently chirping like a thousand birds, praising nature and its beauty.


    ''Woah.'' He marveled at the art of beauty he was looking at, and hearing. But momentster, he shook his hand and rxed both hands on the side of the barrel.


    ''All I have to do is control these things with my mind. Not much of a problem.'' He entertained such thoughts, and began on his task.


    Regrettably, those thoughts were proved to be the biggest problem he hase to face in this journey. Minutes flew by, and no matter what he tried, there seemed to be no progress.


    ''Ha...Hard. This is like looking at a piece of food and thinking it will fly into your mouth. It''s improbable.'' He internallyined, and looked up at Damien.


    "It''s possible with just the right effort." And such a response met his sad attempts. ''I did not even say anything...'' He sighed, and continued.


    Meanwhile, Damien himself called out his Temte and entertained the idea to use his Cryz Stones.


    These stones were capable of evolving Skills, Abilities, Traits, Talents, Techniques, you can mention it. As long as the right number was obtained, evolution was possible.


    And he, desired to use it on his Abilities. Of course, using Ability Points would be better, but unfortunately, his ss was still showing no signs ofpletion.


    And thus, he would rely on this.


    [ Name: Damien Gray ]


    [ Mana: 13 469 356 356 units ]


    [ Epithet(2): First Blood(Grand), Dragon yer(Myth-1) ]


    [ ss: Lvl 6 ssless (0/90) ]


    [ Sub-ss: None ]


    [ Excess Life Essence: 18,195,389 ]


    [Alignment: Chaotic Neutral ]


    [ Stats: STR - 1 700,0 || AGI - 1 600,0 || END - 1 700,0 || INT - 1 700,0 || WIS - 1 700,0 || AFF - 1 600,0 (¨C) ]


    [ Stat Points: 400 || Ability Points: 1 ]


    [ ??? Abilities(1): False Enigma(1) ]


    [ Ultimate Abilities(1): Deus Ex Machina(1) ]<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    [ Unique Abilities(4): Wisdom Eye(1), Plot Armor(1), Dragon Heart(1), Runic Encryption(1) ]


    [ Extra Abilities(11): Enhance Speed(1), Enhanced Strength(1), Enhanced Endurance(1), Enhanced Magic Defense(1), Dragon Roar(1), Dragon Might(1), Rune Mastery(1), Runic Eye(1), Chosen Extra(1), Blind Luck(1), Dazzling Presence(1) ]


    [ Techniques(3): Mana Incorporation(Unique), Infernal Energy Cirction(Unique), Philosophical Mana-Kinesis(Unique) ]


    [ Equipment(7): Mask of Gray(Unique), Wings of Endless Ash(Unique), Undaine Bear Coat(Unique), Null de(Unique), Night Walker(Unique), Devil Gown(Unique), Void Keeper(Unique) ]


    [ Resources(0): None ]


    "..."


    He briefed through everything, and the only surprise was his Excess Life Essence. Even his ever increasing Mana did not surprise him at this point, but the Life Essence... it was too much.


    ''What are those two lovebirds up to, now?'' He thought, and carelessly moved on. He was curious, but cared less. ''As long as they are alive.'' He added.


    He then checked out his Extra Abilities. They would be his first experiment. But there was a downside to using this method when it came to Ability Upgrades.


    And that was... it elevated an Ability at the cost of yet another Ability, or more. Combining two Abilities to birth a fused Ability of the two. It was iparable to just simply using Ability Points.


    But he did not care much about that. In fact, he cared less about having many Abilities, no matter how high grade they were. ''After all, it meant nothing when one reaches a newfound stage of power.''


    ''But then again... having an Ability now, still beats having none.'' He thought, while grasping onto two Cryz Stones in one one hand, while choosing two Abilities to fuse.


    The two Cryz Stones shed a brief purple brilliance, and from his Temte, he saw two Abilities disappear.


    They were "Enhance Strength" and "Enhance Speed". They both each moved to a Cryz Stone, and in each stone, a character respective to the Ability''s nature appeared.


    "Strength" appearing on one. And "Speed" appearing on the other. Then, the two Cryz Stones vibrated slightly, and flew up above his head.


    Damien watch apathetically. The two Cryz Stones then increased their speed of vibration, while moving towards one another. And as immediately as they made contact, a bright golden light shed out.


    It was so bright, it forcefully snatched Flint''s attention towards it. Like the sun on an evening sunset. ''Woah...'' He marveled for the second time today. And he thus continued to watch in stupor until the light died down.


    From its position, there appeared a golden iid purple Cryz Stone, with the character reading "Power" on it. Flint''s eyes zed at the Stone and hurriedly asked, "That is¨C"


    "Focus." But Damien''s ruthless words pped him across the face. The young man pouted and scoffed at Damien. But a momentter, he peaked to make sure that Damien was not offended.


    And Damien himself just ignored him. He instead viewed the resultant Ability of the fusion.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ Enhanced Limbs (EXTRA+) :- A mastered Extra Ability that enhances one''s limbs to be able to exert fifty times more power and speed than usual. Drains 500 Mana units per second for Apprentices to keep effective ]


    "Not bad. And as expected, the fused Ability would have increased cost." Damienmented, and then fused two other Abilities; "Enhance Magic Defense" and "Enhance Endurance".


    The same process repeated, and another golden iid purple Cryz Stone appeared in his hands. Flint peaked once again, and was really dying inside, desiring to know.


    But Damien once again ignored it. He instead focused on the newly formed Ability, and checked its information.


    [ Enhanced Exterior (EXTRA+) :- A mastered Extra Ability that enhances the skin of a person to be able to take fifty times more damage, be it physical, spiritual or magical. Drains 500 Mana units per second for Apprentices to keep effective ]


    "Not bad as well." He nodded, and then held both golden iid purple Cryz Stones in his hand, willing both of them to fuse together, to finally birth his required Unique Ability.


    The two Cryz Stones had the same process as before, and floated up with grandeur. This time around, causing the world around them to respond in nature.


    ...!!!


    Flint flung his eyes open and looked up in shock, at the two fusing Cryz Stones. The reason he was shocked was because around the Cryz Stones, were auspicious auras of various colors, humming a tune of nature.


    "What in the..." His focus wasplete shattered as he even forgot what he was doing. The sight before him was of pure wonder and utter beauty. ''Amazing...'' And he could only think of it.


    "..."


    Damien also expectantly watched, as the fusion light of the two Abilities was rivaling that of a star. It was too bright, and probably visible from thousands upon thousands of miles away.

 Chapter 86 Ascendant Foundation I

    ?And after what seemed like ages, the light slowly died down, and revealed apletely golden Cryz Stone that descended into Damien''s hands in majesty.


    Like a King descending down the isle. Like the magnificent setting sun, leaving with its golden zed red glory. It was breathe taking.


    "..."


    Flint''s eyes followed the descending stone nkly. He wasplete captivated. But Damien was not. He stretched out his hand, and grabbed the Cryz Stone, covering all it''s glory from the naked eyes of the world.


    Flint immediately came back to his senses, and could not believe his reaction. ''I... I should really learn to control my emotions.'' He thought, shaded pink like a tomato.


    Damien ignored him, and checked out the golden Cryz Stones with the character of "Foundation" on its center. Just that word alone caught his interest.


    [ Ascendant Foundation (UNIQUE) :- A Unique Ability shattering the very limits of one''s Existential Grade as a mortal, and giving them boons and blessing that other Unique creatures such as gods, devils, angels etc enjoy to the fullest. Burning out 10 Billion units of Mana per second, can increase all effects your attacks, abilities, techniques etc by a hundred times ]


    "..."


    Damien was amazed. This Ability was out of his expectation, but notpletely illogical... for now. But with enough Mana, he could literally obtain stupendous effects to his battle prowess.


    Already imagining this Ability used on his light speed travel when he wore his Wings of Endless Ash, he could travel a hundred times faster... a hundred times faster than light!!


    Most gods could barely achieve that speed even in their wildest dreams. Yet, he was still a mortal.


    He then continued and fused more Abilities, using up four more Cryz Stones. The first pair was "Dragon Roar" and "Dragon Might", which birthed the mastered Extra Ability, "Dragonification".


    The second pair was then "Rune Mastery" and "Runic Eye", birthing the mastered Extra Ability, "Eye of Runic Affinity".


    Then fusing both mastered Extra Abilities, with the cost of one more Cryz Stone due to the mismatching elements, he birthed yet another Unique Ability.


    [ Runic Dragonborne (UNIQUE) :- A Unique Ability that maniptes the Universal Law of Transformation and changes one''s Physiology into that of a dragonborne. The form can be kept active by burning out one hundred billion Mana units per second. In this form, the Universal Runic Law bends to your will, and all stats (aside from Affinity) are greatly enhanced by fifty times each ]


    Yet another amazing Ability. Damien thought to himself. He then turned to look at Flint, who was caught staring straight at him as well.


    ...!!!


    The young man hurriedly averted his eyes, and pretended as if he was busy with his own chore. Damien kept staring at him in silence, and Flint felt like he was carrying the world on his shoulders.


    The pressure was too heavy. And the silence was too loud. ''At least say something... please!!'' He thought, but Damien ignored him, and went about his own business. ''Thank the gods... wait, I am a god though... Well, whatever.''


    Flint then went back to focusing on his ascension, while Damien tested out his new Unique Ability, [Ascendant Foundation].


    It was the only Unique Ability so far that was not restricted due to his lower Realm. But thanks to that, the cost was too much. Especially so, thanks to its illegal ascension.


    "..."


    He activated the Ability with a thought, and felt his power immediately rise. With his limited Mana, this would notst more than a second, so he had to be fast.


    And thus, just as his overall being was elevated, and strengthened, he immediately sent a punch through the air. It was a simple action, a simple movement.


    Yet it''s effects were everything but simple. For, a wrathful gale, as if carrying countless wails of ghost and devils in hell, bloomed atop the mountain and spread out in rage.


    "..."


    Flint was once again speechless. For a mortal, that punch waspletely lethal. By now, he knew that Damien was still an Apprentice, which for days he underwent denial, but recognized was true.


    Hence for an Apprentice, to release such terrifying strength was illogical. Especially when he felt like it was almost 10% the might of a demigod. Him. One of the most powerful (self recognized) demigods!!


    Yet what they were unaware of, was that, the current one second Damien, was almost on par as the strongest of demigods, anomalies and irregrs aside.


    "Not bad." Damien thought, as the effects of his new Ability died down. Luckily, he still had billions of Mana units, hence he felt no weakness whatsoever.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He nodded in satisfaction. But he was not done. Bing a god would take days even for a monster genius like Flint, so Damien was not worried about time at the moment.


    Instead, he then targeted two more Unique Abilities. Respectively, "Runic Dragonborne" and "Runic Encryption" or with "Dragon Heart".


    He was inclined to using thetter, since he had ns for "Runic Encryption". He was also looking forward to what monstrous Ability would be born out of this.


    And just like that, time went by as both young man underwent their own individual activities. Damien for the most part, was just getting more ustomed to his artifacts.


    While Flint focused more on tying to be a genuine god. And thus, both became irrelevant towards time, just as it was to them.


    A day went by, then two days, three days, four days, and by the fifth day, progress appeared on Flint''s nth attempt at manipting faith.


    "..."


    The young man stared intently at the barrel of faith that had not moved an inch for five days. But today, maybe due to his numerous attempts, he finally managed to slightly nudge at the faith swimming within the barrel.


    The ever serene sea of golden glitter, suddenly jerked up and caused small waves to spread out. Flint beamed at the discovery, but did his best to tone it down.


    It could be an earthquake or something. He thought, and made yet another attempt. And to his joy, the golden sea of glitter grew restless, as if an ocean about to wee a storm.


    ''It''s not earthquake or something, I made progress!! Progress!!'' Flint thought in joy, and kept trying to manipte the faith with his monstrous will.


    He attempted to shape the faith into a droplet, and a portion of it moved at his will. And wa, a droplet was formed. Flint''s joy and confidence continously climbed up the roof.


    He then attempted to form something else, using arger reserve of faith, ten percent to be precise. He formed a heart with it, and he seeded.


    Then he formed a miniature version of Damien with thirty percent. A miniature version of the Realm Guardian he fought with fifty percent. A miniature version of Falsar with eight percent.


    ''Hahaha!! I can do it. I can finally do it!!'' He beamed out in more joy and used up all faith to form a spiraling golden sea around him.


    "Sir Damien, check this out. I did it, I did it." He said in joy, floating up with the spiraling golden sea of glitter around him, making him seem holy and divine.


    "Hm. You outdid my expectations again. Amazing." Damien praised without looking at him, and then added, "Now try and feed every cell within your body with a hint of faith."


    "It does not have to be fully saturated, but as long as every cell of your body has a hint of faith, you can truly form a genuine divine body. Those cells will then convert your Mana to Divine power."


    "Depending on your Talent, this might take over two years, or just less than a day. Including the blessing of being within a Stage 2 Realm. But I know you''ll be down by tomorrow." Damien dumped more knowledge to him.


    Flint nodded, then frowned. "I have Infinite Mana though." Andid out a problem he thought would make things tough for him. But Damien easily brushed it off. "Makes no difference. Only potential does."


    "So you mean... it''s possible to convert Infinite Mana to Infinite Divine Power in just less than a day?" He verified, and Damien corrected. "Not necessarily so. A single unit of Divine power isparable to Trillions of units of Mana."


    "And Infinity is an abstruse term when ites to Mana. It only applies when one has so much source to the point that no matter what he/she does, they will never run out. No matter what."


    Flint paused, and broke it down to how he understood it. "So my Infinite Mana actually has a defined number? And it''s only just infinite to me because I cannot count up to it, and use it all?"


    "Indeed." Damien nodded, then added. "But if the number is toorge, for even gods and devils alike, then it''s possible to have Infinite Divine power as well."


    "I see..." Flint nodded, and then began on doing as he was told. He was curious how much Mana he had, and whether it was average to gods, or considered monstrous as well.


    And thus, time went by. And righy after yet another day, both young man were presented with terrifying results.


    Even Damien was speechless.


    "..."


    "..."

 Chapter 87 Ascendent Foundation II

    ?*** Juliette Silver ***


    ''How long has it been? Ah, yes. It''s been approximately almost 27 hours, and we are not counting the thirty minutes of rest time before this ''hellish'' training I experienced.''


    ''And right now, as you all might have thought, I am undergoing yet another ''hell''. But really though, is this necessary?''


    ''I am a damsel you know, but now in distress.'' I thought, yet my thoughts did not end there. There was more I had in mind right now. For example...


    ''I am currently now ''flying'' through the air... not like a bird, but perhaps a piece of paper? Or maybe a lone leaf?'' I thought, idle and yet rxed.


    ''Yes, something along those lines. Hm? A pieces of paper can''t fly? A leaf as well? Well did you know, so do humans. Humans CANNOT and SHOULD NOT attempt to fly!!''


    ''So why am flying? Funny question, really. No, it really is a funny question.''


    ''See that gigantic tornado right there? Yes yes, that one. That one that seems like the rage of a god has befallen the world.''


    ''Yeah, as weak as I am, I could not fight against it. So here I am, ''flying'' through the skies with my unfortunate friends.'' My thoughts drifted along once more, as I came to a realization.


    I might be going crazy.


    "..."


    [ Natural wind resistance :- 48,78% ]


    But luckily, as you can see, I am almost about to be down. Andints aside, I really am ''flying'' at this point.


    I stood suspended within the air, manipting the wind around me to form an airy bubble. It was an easy feat considering how high my natural resistance to wind was.


    I then stared at the giant tornado miles ahead of me, in thought. Honestly, this was arge tornado, maybe something our Stronghold might not survive.


    I thought once more, and alongside those thoughts, was more notifications from the will (artificial intelligence) of this training ground.


    [ Natural wind resistance :- 49% ]


    I stared at the notification and sighed in relief. A little more time left. Around ten more minutes left before I can get out of this treacherous zone.


    Why would I consider it treacherous? Well, every training was no different than the first. No, well, uhm, the first was more painful, but so were the next two.


    I had to drown, like literally drown, for nineplete hours within the second one. As if that was all, I also spent nine hours in endless darkness.


    It was as if I was suspended at the bottom of the ocean, drowning at that, for nine whole hours. It was not as painful, sure, but it was much more of a mental torture.


    Then this one. I had to be thrown everywhere like a ragdoll. Colliding with rocks and other obstacles was painful enough, but having my entire clothes torn, and then my skin next... was more unpleasant.


    And if we add the fact that my world view was constantly spinning for hours, making me want to vomit every second, was even worse.


    ...Yes, as we speak now, I am naked. And bruised up all over my body. I looked so horrible. What would Damien think of me.


    Yet another mental torture. And to add up, I was now experiencing embarrassment. Well not really. There is no one here to see me... except the idea that those pixies are watching me.


    "..."


    [ Natural wind resistance :- 49,99% ]


    They are lucky I think of them as nothing but children... plus, Damien said that they were even more powerful than gods, so I won''t risk it.


    ''Plus, I am almost out of this hell zone.'' I thought in relief, as the final notification of this trial ended it for me.


    [ CONGRATULATIONS!!! ]


    [ You are the first to ever obtain three AFFINITIES at such a lower League. You have been awarded 3,000 units of Life Essence (Half will be shared to your Eternal Companion) ]


    [ Due to doing something unbelievable, and your unfathomable talents; you can now train threews, and affect it once enough source energy is supplied ]


    [ You have obtained another AFFINITY!! Your Mana will increase by 100% due to being even closer to the Natural Workings of Reality ]


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ Due to being a low leveled Apprentice, you have done an impossible feat. Your Mana will increase by 500%. Please keep up the good work and continue breaking Limits ]


    "FINALLY!!!" I thought as I reappeared within thepletely white training room,pletely unscathed. Another training down, and now I''m down to one more.


    [ You have finalized the training of another Affinity in just nine hours straight ]


    [ There are still fourteen hours remaining. Please choose the next Affinity under a minutes ]


    [ If nothing is chosen under sixty seconds, the A.I will randomly select an Affinity for you, whether it matches or not. Please tread carefully candidate ]


    I ignored the notifications. Instead, I hurriedly checked out my Temte. After every training, I obtain at least an Ability as well.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    [ Name: Juliette Silver ]


    [ Mana: 60 016345670 011 units ]


    [ Epithet(3): First Blood(Grand), Grand Pioneer of Mana(Myth-1), Dragon yer(Myth-1) ]


    [ ss: Lvl 6 ssless (0/90) ]


    [ Sub-ss: None ]


    [ Excess Life Essence: 18,195,389 units ]


    [Alignment: Chaotic Neutral ]


    [ Stats: STR - 10,0 || AGI - 10,0 || END - 10,0 || WIS - 300,0 || INT - 300,0 || AFF - 30,0 ]


    [ Stat Points: 0 || Ability Points: 1 ]


    [Ultimate Abilities(1): Spirit Source(1) ]


    [ Unique Abilities(6): Spirit Zone(1), Spirit Medium(1), Mystic Magic(1), Mana Magic(1), Spirit Magic(1) Elemental Magic(1) ]


    [ Extra Abilities(4): Self-Hypnosis(1), Dark Vision(1), Underwater Breathing(1), Float(1) ]


    [ Techniques(1): Mana Incorporation(Unique) ]


    [ Natural Resistance(3): <Fire: 50%> <Water:50%> <Wind:50%> ]


    [ Spells(23): Spell Creation(2nd), Rune Casting(2nd), Symbol Inscription(2nd), Magic Maniption(2nd), Personal Magic: Mana(2nd), Mana Control(2nd), Mana Enhancement(2nd), Mana Construction(2nd), Mana Aura(2nd), Mana Creation(2nd), Spirit Summon(2nd), Spirit Grooming(2nd), Spirit Communication(2nd), Spirit Empowerment(2nd), Spirit Fusion(2nd), Fire Ball(2nd), Fire st(2nd), Bubble Prison(2nd), Water Dragon(2nd), Haste(2nd), Hurricane Burst(2nd), Mountain Wall(2nd), Meteorite(2nd) ]


    [ Equipment(0): None ]


    [ Resources(0): None ]


    "Float?" I thought. So that was the Ability I obtained? Not "Pain Resistance" or something else? Well the Ability is not bad, so let me notin.


    I moved on. I had also obtained [Dark Vision] and [Underwater Breathing] for myst trial. They were both not bad... or so I believe.


    Either than that, nothing much has changed, either than my Mana increasing. I also realized that it seemed that I was not the only one constantly improving.


    Sometimes my Mana would increase inrge percentages every now and then. Maybe twice everyday (two and a half hours)? Or maybe more or less.


    "But is having so much Mana at such a low Realm considered good? We already have more than we can chew. Almost a Trillion times what we should have." I thought.


    With our reserves, we can use Unique Abilities without a care. Which made me wonder, "At this point, what is the difference between us, and a god? Levels?"


    It was something I have been contemting for hours. But then again, if I think about it, Damien already had strength to fight a dragon. He did fight a dragon.


    A demon too. An angel. A spirit. And many more. Maybe we are gods as well? Or godly at most? But I am not sure. I can never be sure... ''I''ll just ask him when he returns.''


    I thought, and then disregarded the thought. Now, I checked up myself. ''Hmm... my skin became even smoother than it was before. It''s as if it''s glowing more slightly.''


    ''My hair also became more prominent. I feel like it''s darker than before, and more lusturious... Wow, it''s so beautiful I envy it... Oh silly, it''s mine, hehe.'' I smiled as I appraised my beauty.


    I also have three marks on my forehead. One red, one blue and one green. Each in the form of an inversed small droplet, where the tails meet up at the bottom.


    Made me look sacred or so something. I look even more beautiful. Maybe now, I can definitely see Damien blushing at my beauty. I have to see him blush even once!!


    ...At me.


    I thought in embarrassment. Honestly, I know it''s selfish of me, but I want to be the only woman he looks at, and blush at.


    I want to be the only woman whom he will one day constantly sing "I love you" too, as a good morning and as a good night.


    I want to be the only woman he holds in mind twenty four seven. I want to be his mental demons!! Okay no, not that. But also that. It doesn''t matter how... I just want to be important to him.


    "..."


    I sound silly. I thought and prepared to wee yet another training. Luckily, this one will be thest one. Hopefully.


    [ Three seconds left. Please choose an Affinity to undergo training in next ]


    A reminder appeared, and I helplessly mentioned the one natural element I was missing. "Earth." And just like that, another training began for our young ''damsel in distress''.


    ''A damsel in distress, with her knight not showing any signs of appearing.'' I thought as the environment changed once more.


    "..."

 Chapter 88 Eldritch Thoughts

    ?Back to Damien and Flint.


    The duo had just finished up their individual training, and were ready to move out at the evening of the eighth day.


    It was also the time where Flint would have his Rematch with the Realm Guardian, and prove himself. His strength had increased greatly now that he was a god.


    [ Name: Flint Falsar ]


    [ Divine Power: ¡ª (Nigh-Infinite) ]


    [ Epithet(3): me Forger(Myth-1), Child of mes(Myth-1), Anomaly(??) ]


    [ Divinity(0): None ]


    [ Laws(1): <Fire: 1%> ]


    [ ss: Lvl 85 Creation Sun ]


    [ Sub-ss: Lvl 1 me Demiurge ]


    [ Life Essence: 200 ]


    [Alignment: Lawful Good ]


    [ Stats: STR - 18 869,6 || AGI - 251,6 || END - 754,8 || WIS - 782,7 || INT - 796,7 || AFF - 1 397,7 ]


    [ Stat Points: 1 || Ability Points: 469 ]


    [ Ultimate Abilities(1): Hell-Craftsman(1) ]


    [ Unique Abilities(10): Divine Creativity(3), Supernatural Strength(1), Hell Fire Maniption(5), Power Body(Max), Hell me Physiology(2), Great Artisan(1), Craft Improvisation(1), Expanded Force(1), Fire Resistance(1), me Control(1) ]


    [ Extra Abilities(0): None ]


    [ Techniques: me God''s Brutal Arts(Unique) ]


    [ Physique: Hell-Borne zing Physiology(Unique) ]


    [ ss Abilities(10): Cosmic Sun me, Creation Key, zing War God, Hellion Domain, Sun Embodiment, Annihtory mes, Ancient Anvil, zing True Elemental, Apollyon Domain, Essence of Destruction ]


    [ Equipment(3): Fists of ze(Godly), Hell-borne Armor(Unique), Storage Ring(Tier 4) ]


    [ Inventory(6): Luggage Bag(¡Á1), Mana Crystals(¡Á23,150), Mana Stones(¡Á11,200), Mana Cores(¡Á12,150), Serpent Lake God''s Corpse(¡Á1), Cryz Stones(¡Á1000) ]


    He viewed his Temte again, and was impressed at how great it was. And how much changes had urred throughout the past day.


    First, he was now a god, and could use Divine power. But miraculously, his Divine power was almost infinite. It was what had shocked Damien a few hours back.


    ording to him, he was disappointed for once, and thought Flint would have Infinite Divine power. The Flint he knew back then was like that, with infinite reserves.


    But the current Flint was not aware of that, and was temporarily despondent because of those words. Temporarily, though.


    Next would be the Divinity tab, as well as the Law tab. These were exclusive to gods, especially the Divinity tab. It meant the overall authority he would weild as a god.


    Unfortunately, he had none... for now.


    Then his Sub-ss. It finally leveled up, which was also the reason he became a god. His overall level surpassed 85.


    And speaking about levels, he had asked about them to Damien a moment ago. And the response he received was as such, "Bing a god would require billions of Life Essence at minimum. Which is unfortunate, as most people could not collect that much Life Essence in their entire life."


    "But if one is lucky to have a Sub-ss, they could use it to Level up, and be a god. The main requirement is to be above level 85... Regardless if whether it''s the addition of two numbers, or more." He paused for Flint to absorb the knowledge, and then continued.


    "But the required need for Worldly Essence still remains. Yet that could also be easily delt with, as long as one could nourish themselves with Divine Crystals... which we will find some, if we are lucky."


    "Or by absorbing the core of a god, which is possible for us, and our optimum path right now. The other problem about this path is that, to Level up a Sub-ss, it would require 1000% more Life Essence than usual."


    "And that includes the effects of having a higher grade ss. Which is why it took you, 800 units of Life Essence just to Level up to Level 1, while it''s normally just 10 units for ordinary sses." He concluded at that.


    "Ah... I see now. That makes more sense. So if I don''t have enough Life Essence, I can just level up through the Sub-ss, which has lower requirements at low levels." Flint nodded heavily, but Damien doubted if he understood the whole matter.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Flint also realized that his lie was not bought, and hurriedly changed the topic. "Haha, by the way, just as you said, my stats did increase due to keeping my [Power Body] mastered Unique Ability active."


    "..."


    Damien did not responded but nodded in response. As Flint said, for mortals, raising strength was easy but hard. Easy because it was possible, yet hard because it was arduous.


    But once a loophole is found, it bes easy. Activating a Unique or mastered Unique Ability active for 24 hours, could effectively increase their stats by 0,1%.


    And including the Realm Stage effects, it would increase by 49 times, bing 4,9% per day. Hence why Flint''s stats increased by almost fifty times in just a week of doing so.


    But as he was a god now, the effects would be halved. And the stronger he became, the less effective it would be on him. Plus, potential was a limit factor to how much one could mess up with this loophole.


    ''Unfortunately, only those with Mana surpassing two trillion units at minimum, could do such nigh-impossible training.'' Flint thought in disappointment.


    But unfortunately, he was unaware that even being able tost an hour, would still benefit a person. Take Damien for example, his strength increased by 0,5 every time he did so for two and a half hours.


    And since he could now easily replenish his Mana in just hours, he could repeat this five more times, hence it was an increase of 2,5% every day for him.


    And his Mana was constantly increasing. It was only about due time that his strength increased beyond his greatest heights.


    And finally, he had bought Cryz Stones from Damien. Each at either 10 Mana Stones, or 5 Mana Crystals. He bought them for his people, especially those with lower ranked sses.


    "Alright, time to move out!!" He said in enthusiasm, pushing himself off the ground with his mes. ''I feel closer to the fire now. Like... I am actually fire, and it''s also me.''


    Flint thought to himself. He felt so much power coursing through his veins at all times. Especially so, when his Unique Abilities, [Supernatural Strength], [Power Body] and [Hell me Physiology] were constantly active.


    His entire being was converted into mes. Like the very personification of Fire. And his base stats were increased greatly as well.


    ''I feel like I can carry the world on my palm...'' He thought as Damien unfurled his Wings of Endless Ash. He also wore the Gray Mask, his visage being cloaked by gray ashes and gray mist.


    Both resembling devils from different departments of hell. One zing with battle intent, and the other dripping with extreme apathy. "Let''s depart." And with that, they took off.


    They both flew at speeds terrifying times beyond what they usually flew at. Flint being able to nowst longer when flying at light speed, and even slightly surpassing Damien with his boost.


    Thus it did not take then even a minute to return back to the cave they had entered. "Back here, huh? Feels like it''s been ages, but it''s only been a week or so."


    Flintmented, and Damien nodded. They then sunk in together, and in seconds, reached the secret passage that led directly into the Newborn Realm.


    Damien then gave a brief warning, "There is a high chance Virgil is still in there. So when the battle starts, always be on your toes." Flint heavily nodded. "Yeah. I know."


    Damien then wore the Devil''s Gown, and equipped "Devil''s Shadow", one of its Abilities. With his current Mana, he wouldst even longer.


    The cost was so negligible that, he could stay invisible even to the eyes of minor deities for over a day. And he, just need a few hours. "Now go." His voice drifted within the air.


    "..."


    And since also Flint could not see through him, he felt weirded out. Like talking to a ghost. But he responded nheless. "Roger" and went into the secret tunnel.


    Damien then watched as Flint flew into the secret tunnel, and he, himself, walked idly within. He was thinking about something.


    A topic that kept him busy the past week. ss Creation. Now that that had experience at creating one, he was wondering if it was possible to create another one.


    Of course, the mere idea itself was preposterous. But Damien hade up with an idea the past week.


    Since the Cryz Stones could bring out fusion of things, wouldn''t that work for sses as well? Like, fusing two Lesser Divine sses, to obtain a Greater Divine ss?


    For one, he has the "Knight Inheritance", and he knew other ces with unique "Inheritances" as well. If he could bond them with a Realm each, elevating them to Divine, and fusing them, would he...


    "..."


    Unfortunately, even if he was curious, he currently had no resources. And it would take time to collect them. Right now, he just wanted to be done, and go home.


    ''Or instead of wasting time, I could just find hidden Supreme Divine sses, and fuse them to obtain a Hidden ss of my own. As for finding two Hidden sses... clearly absurd.'' He thought to himself.


    The battle was also about to begin.

 Chapter 89 Rematch I - Breakthrough

    ?It has been nine days since the Realm Guardian had been resting. After its intense battle with the two little creatures, it lost not only a limb, but also a horn and part of its tail.


    "..."


    The dragon felt angry and mistreated. Especially so, when those that attacked it, barged into its home, and it was only doing its job.


    Fortunately, the Realm was catering to its wounds, and healed it in just the short span of seven days.


    As a Stage 2 Realm, even the effects of healing were increased by forty nine times. The time here might be slow, but the standards of living were increased exponentially.


    And thus, it''s limb and tail were restored. Unfortunately, it''s horn was not a part of its flesh, and could not be healed whatsoever.


    But it felt content nheless. Mostly due to the fact that it was born a perfect greater god, and was now about to shed its previous shells and restriction.


    A breakthrough.


    "..."


    It''s body zed with a ck glow, that took supremacy throughout the whole Realm, closing everything in a ck shade of destruction.


    The perfected Universal Greater Crystal Law zed around its body, like a sun about to embrace supernova, trying to shatter its shackles as best as it could.


    ROOOAAARRR!!!


    PENG~


    And with such a roar, that literally shook the crystal mountains within the Realm, the Crystal Law broke through its restriction and entered a new Realm of power.


    The Universal Law immediately flew out of its body, and broke through space, entering into a lone universe Infinite miles away.


    The Law ignored all barriers, and easily pieced through the Universal membrane, and went straight to the core of the Universe.


    While the Universe itself had ambivalent feelings towards the Law, as it was not rejected by it, nor was it epted.


    For it knew its Fate.


    The Law then incorporated itself deep within the Universe''s Core, which was the most important aspect of a Universe, being the source of all that exists within.


    ckholes, Quasers, Stars,s, Gxies, and any other aspect of the Universe, they all stemmed, and obtained their source from this very core.


    A core that the newly arrived foreign Law, mixed itself into, and began absorbing all of its source.


    WAM~


    The process began without a hitch, the Universe itself freezing in time as all Essence was absorbed from it by the Crystal Law.


    BOOM!!


    And a world ending explosion urred within. The process did not take long, for the Universe''s core did not struggle.


    It was easily assimted by the Law, that took control of the very source of the Universe.


    This very Universe was now the source of power for this Law, which was now the source of power for the Realm Guardian itself.


    The Universe''s time began flowing again, as the supplied energy was not cut off. In fact, it was only strengthened, and became even stronger.


    Crystal people were also being nurtured. The sun''s core was crystal, and so much more. The Universe''s aspect immediately became "Crystal".


    ROOOAAARRR!!!


    And as that urred, as days passed with the changes continuing, a powerful roar spread out throughout the Universe, asserting its dominance.


    The Realm Guardian was now a high god, standing tall within this Universe. Being the very source of power driving its life force.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ Congrattions!! You have surpassed your limits, and have be a high deity. Your authority spreads throughout the whole Crystal Universe, and can be manifested here as your Domain ]


    [ As the Realm Guardian of this Realm, the Realm has supplied you with enough Worldy Essence to cover up your Level up ]


    [ As a Lesser Divine ss. Your stats have increased by one point each. You have obtained four Distributable Points. You have obtained four Ability Points. Your Divine power has increased by 200% ]


    [ The sess and decline of the now Crystal Universe belongs to you. The stronger you are, the greater the Crystal Universe will be ]


    "..."


    The powerful roar from before finally toned down, as the Realm Guardian had finally experienced its long (short) awaited breakthrough.


    It was now a god standing beyond many others, a high god. One Realm from breaking through into apletely different league of gods!!


    [ Name: No. 0 (Realm Guardian) ]


    [ Divine power: ¨C ]


    [ Epithet: Realm Administrator ]


    [ ss: Lvl 136 Realm Guardian (Low Divine) ]<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    [ Sub-ss: None ]


    [ Life Essence: 0 ]


    [Alignment: Neutral ]


    [ Stats: STR - 13 000 001,0 || AGI - 901,0 || END - 15 000 001,0 || WIS - 11 000 001,0 || INT - 9 000 001,0 || AFF - 10 001,0 ]


    [ Stat Points: 4 || Ability Points: 540 ]


    [ Ultimate Abilities: None ]


    [ Unique Abilities(2): Dragon Physiology(1), Fate Immunity(1) ]


    [ Extra Abilities(5): Dragon Roar(1), Dragon Scale Armor(1), Dragon Beam(1), Dragon Might(1), Draconic Magic(1) ]


    [ ss Abilities(5): Alpha Physiology, Divine Authority, Dimensional Lordship, Personal Domain ]


    [ Equipment: None ]


    [ Resources: None ]


    It''s Temte manifested before itself, making it once more proud. It had regained the full strength of a greater deity a few days ago, and it increased more with this breakthrough.


    It''s base stats were monstrous. Let alone when it went into battle mode, and used its Abilities. It thought, brimming head to toe with power and confidence.


    It then rxed itself, andy down once again. Unfortunately, just as it rested, an idle voice of excitement called out from above.


    "Ah, damn. You also had a breakthrough? Hahaha, why is Fate so biased with me?" Flint descended with his whole entire physiology being made out of mes.


    "...!!!"


    The Realm Guardian stood back up in apprehension and care. It''s wings spread out involuntarily to make itself seemrger, while it backed off slightly.


    "Mhm..." Flint only looked down on it with a yful smile. And looking at him closely, the Realm Guardian regained back it''s caution and growled at him.


    Another one?! It thought in anger, it''s High Universal Law of Crystals zing around its body, as immense pressure spread out throughout the whole Realm.


    "Angry? I should be the one angry here you know?" Flint said, and feigned a dissatisfied expression. But the Realm Guardian did not take that lying down.


    It breathed out a hypersonic beam that shed a multicolored light towards Flint. It was powered up by its Law, and had the destructive power of a star!!


    "Oho? Such power? What level of godhood does one reach after being a greater god?" Flint thought in curiosity as he casually waved his hand before himself, redirecting the ste beam with [Expanded Force].


    Throughout his period with Damien, he had learned that Unique Abilities had more flexibility. Take his, for example, [Expanded Force] allowed one to expand their Force by a hundred times.


    But if one mastered it, they could also apply the "Expanded" part however they liked. They could expand anything, as long as they had enough energy to supply it. Same for the "Force" aspect.


    The redirected ste beam struck a crystal mountain a few miles away, andpletely eradicated it into crystal dust.


    "ROAR!!" The Realm Guardian roared at him in anger, even taking a few steps forward to show that it''s fearlessness of him.


    Flint cracked his neck to both sides, and increased the intensity of his mes. "Alright then, I''ll entertain... You!!" He boldly dered, and swooped down like an eagle.


    "ROAR!!" The Realm Guardian spread our its wings and roared out in warning. But Flint did not falter, and even increased his speed.


    Angered, it roared even louder, "ROOAARR!!" And did not back down, as it flew up like an erupting volcano, with all if it''s rage, now uncontroble let loose.


    BOOOM!!


    And the two beings shed together at the center, releasing a ste shockwave, that shook the mountains of treasures and resources around them.


    Swiss~


    A red sh of light was thrown back, and collided heavily onto multiple treasure hills, before exploding out onto the wall, mixed on it like butter on bread.


    "Ugh..!! That was, unexpected. Damn. It''s over ten times stronger than I am. I guess... I need to up my game." He thought as he pushed himself off the wall.


    He then piled up [Supernatural Strength] and [Hell me Physiology] with Ability Points, maxing them out instantly.


    His visage immediate exploded out into reddish mes, and exploded out in more power. "Now that''s more like it." He excitedly thought, his voice a tone deeper than usual.


    Boom!!


    He burst off ahead at terrifying speed. The Realm Guardian blew out a breathe of crystal essence, powered out by its very Law within the Crystal Universe.


    "Heh!! I''m a god too!!" Flint roared out, punching out with all his strength, and releasing an invisible shockwave that collided with the dragon breathe, canceling each other out.


    Wam~


    The explosion spread out as an invisible wave of impure essence. But they both ignored it, and charged towards each other once more.


    BOOOM!!


    And unfortunately for the young man, the same process repeated itself as he was pushed back towards the wall again.


    "Ugh...!! Damn it... Still, still almost thirty times stronger than me, huh..?" But he did not back down, and instead smiled. He once more pushed himself off the wall and... charged again.

 Chapter 90 Rematch II: God On God

    ?Boom!!


    Flint kicked off the ground and charged over at full speed. ''Since no matter what I do, my strength is way below yours, I''ll just use something else then.'' He thought.


    At the same time, he activated his ss Ability, <zing War God> without hesitation. His entire visage exposed out in power and authority.


    As a Hidden ss courier, his ss Abilities could skip eight realms and affect them. While the Realm Guardian had a Lesser Divine ss that could skip four.


    Even when they canceled each other out, including the two Realm difference between them, Flint''s ss Abilities could still affect it as a high god (two realms above him).


    Hence his <zing War God> immediately gave him prowess around that of a high god. Hence including a High Universal Law.


    His body''s mes immediately changed; an ascendant gear such as a ming armor, ming gauntlets, and increased muscle mass appeared on his form. Making him seem even more godly.


    While within a lone Universe, one sorounded by fiery mes, an invisible string appeared out of the Void and slowly inserted itself into the Universe''s core.


    The core itself did not fight back, and let the string collect its power, powering whatever the string belonged to, with Universal Essence like any other high god.


    And the connection immediately connected with Flint, transforming the mes that made up his "zing War God" form, into a High Universal Law of Fire.


    "...!!!"


    Flint marveled at the power he held within his hands, as he charged up with even more power and determination. ''Now bring it on!!''


    "ROAR!!" The Realm Guardian took the challenge once again. With its great sess from the previous two attempts, it''s ego was inted and expected yet another show of dominance from its side.


    But s, things never take one''s preferred path. Even Fate and Destiny would agree to it.


    BOOOM!!


    The two shed once more, and this time around, the Realm Guardian was the one who was thrown miles back, colliding heavily onto the ground.


    Yet thanks to constantly keeping <Alpha Physiology> active, it was able to survive the force of the <zing War God> and his mighty baleful charge.


    It stood back up and roared out in anger, and even more challenge. "ROOOAAARRR!!!" As if saying, is that all you can do?


    "Hahahaha!!" And Flint''s response, was tantughter. Laughter so pure and joyful that, no one would expect that it would usher in nothing but more devastation to the battlefield.


    Because along thatughter, <zing True Elemental> was also activated, solidifying some of his fiery body, such as the arms, face, chest and legs.


    But his whole body was still made out of mes, just that one part was immaterial mes, while the other was materialized mes. A respendant form of wonder~


    "Haha, I love the enthusiasm big guy. Come!! Let''s goooo!!" He roared out inughter, spreading both hands to his side.


    On each hand, powerful High Universal mes converged. On one hand, it was Divine Fire, and on the other hand, it was Elemental Fire. Both at High Universal Law.


    The Realm Dragon felt the threating, and gathered the power of its Law deep within its stomach, causing it to take a white brilliant glow.


    It then took a deep breathe, and gathered the Law and its essence within it chest, rising it up all the way to its throat. Flint also gathered enough mes on both hands.


    "..."


    "..."


    The two opponents briefly exchanged shot nces, and with a smile from Flint, they both released their gathered up powers onto each other.


    One released a white multicolored breathe, that pushed at anything with its path. While the other brought both his hands together, each containing different mes together, and releasing a reddish-golden beam of Fire.


    From afar, one could only see the uprising of lunar brilliance, and the down fall of sr devastation. Each moving towards each other, like how good and evil are inseparable.


    BOOOM!!!


    And they both shed, and exploded out into a powerful explosion, that shattered the sound barrier to a different degree!!


    s, "My mes are powered up by two high tired Laws, while you only have one on your side. This one''s my take, buddy." Flint said, as the beam of sr devastation easily tore through the lunar brilliance.


    Like a devil ripping apart the white feathers of an angel. Then it pushed on towards the Realm Guardian with extreme force and pressure.


    And the threat of death, was unlike anything it has ever experienced before. It was a foreign feeling. One bleak, and empty, abundant and chaotic.


    It was like experience all emotions at once, seeing your life from birth, till what you could be in the future toe, all in instance, yet having no feelings towards it whatsoever.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "..."


    The world froze from the Realm Guardian''s eyes. The iing beam of red and gold, the brilliantly shining crystals and treasures around it. Everything, it froze.


    All it saw was just its life of only two weeks sh by right before its eyes. Giving rise to multiple emotions, yet the one that stood out... was defiance.


    Extreme defiance!!


    It didn''t want to die, hence it grit its teeth. It desired to live, hence it riled up its Divine power. It saw a greater future for itself, hence it fought. Even when death was all but certain!!


    <Dimensional Lordship>


    Time began to flow once more, as the left eye of the Realm Dragon, abruptly took on a unique pattern. It was one reminiscent of a shattered mirror, it''s pupil acting as the mirror.


    And just as it''s pupil shattered like a mirror, causing blood to flow down its left eye...


    Peng~!!


    The space before itself was also shattered into multiple mirror fragments. One of them being able to swallow the iing sr devastationpletely, and releasing it out of another mirror, hence redirecting it towards a different direction altogether.


    BOOOM!!!


    The beam flew towards one of the walls of the Realm, resulting into it being exploded into web-like cracks that spread all over it.


    "..."


    "..."


    Both opponents stood shocked. Flint was amazed that the Realm Guardian managed to stay alive so far. While the Realm Guardian was also amazed at how broken this ss Ability was.


    Yet the battle was not over. The Realm Guardian, addicted to this Ability, fired off a white st towards Flint. Yet mid air, it''s left eye glowed briefly, shattering space into mirror fragments again.


    One appeared before the white beam, and swallowed it. While another appeared besides Flint, and spat out the beam into him.


    But the current Flint was the powerful. He easily raised his hand, and caught the beam, and then forcefully pushed it back within the mirror fragment, using [Expanded Force] to increase its speed.


    The beam then reappeared from the first mirror fragment, and flew back towards the Realm Guardian. It hurriedly pped its wings, and moved away from the area.


    Boom!!!


    The beam struck down, and exploded, but it was ignored. The Realm Guardian burst off towards Flint like a blurry light, it''s eye shing once more.


    A mirror fragment was opened right in front of it, and it flew into it faster than light. Flint became cautious, and prepared himself for an attack.


    And indeed, an attack arrived. A mirror fragment appeared above him, and the fast dragon shed out like a ck light.


    Regrettably, Flint was faster. The moment the mirror fragment appeared, he had already burst off below, like a fiery red sh of light. And the Realm Guardian... chased with all it''s might.


    The both of them shed throughout the Realm, like cat and mouse. Yet the Realm Guardian failed to catch up to Flint, and hence decided to be smarter.


    It''s left eye shed once more, opening up a mirror fragment. It went in, and multiples mirror fragments appeared around Flint, causing him to pause mid air.


    "Huh? Trying to trap me? Nice." He thought out loud in curiosity. Unfortunately, the Realm Guardian had other ns for him.


    For, just as he stopped, a ck blur of light appeared out of one of the many mirror fragments around him. ''Still slow.'' Flint scoffed in excitement and moved aside. But... he regretted it big time.


    ...!!!


    For just as he dodged, his expression warped into that of horror as he realized that what sh past him, was a cut off tail, not the Realm Guardian. ''Shit!!'' He cussed in realization.


    Pity, he was toote. As the moment he turned around, he was presented with arge maw of pure endless darkness, ready to swallow him in one bite.


    But his instincts kicked in, and he subconsciously activated <Cosmic Sun>, incasing himself within a small spherical bubble made up of cosmic mes.


    But the Realm Guardian still bit into him. Luckily, it was unable to shatter the bubble made up of cosmic mes. It''s teeth failed to shatter the bubble, nor sink into it.


    Dissatisfied, it held him within its mouth, and gathered up its Law within its stomach. The Law Essence gathered, and slowly climbed up to its chest.


    Flint realized what was about to happen, and froze in stupor. ''Aren''t no way... Aren''t, no, way...'' He thought in disbelief.

 Chapter 91 Rematch III: Conversations

    ?The Realm Guardian immediately powered up its Universal Law, and released it as a beautiful beam of light, that smashed the cosmic bubble of mes on the wall.


    Boom!!


    The Cosmic bubble of mes was pinned against the wall, and forcefully pressured by the Universal Law contained within the breathe, cutting off every path of escape.


    ''This... won''t end well. Dammit, I got way too cocky of myself.'' Flint thought as he tried to deduce out a way to get out of his current predicament.


    For one, he could not escape since the moment he does, he would face the full force of this dragon breathe. And his base foundation was still that of a Lesser God.


    He would clearly die, or at most, sustain devastating injuries, and losing for the second time in a row. Which would be embarrassing.


    ''That''s definitely not an option. But... But what can I do though?'' He thought, checking out his Temte, Abilities and even his soroundings.


    ''...Too many unclear options to choose from. Argh... you know what, I''ll just brute force myself out of this.'' He took a deep breathe, and tried to calm down his nerves.


    He then gathered Divine Fire on his right hand, and Elemental Fire on his left hand. Repeating the same process as before, he brought both hands together, and unleashed a beam of golden-red mes forward.


    The beam struck the cosmic bubble of mes, exactly where the dragon breathe struck. And if it wasn''t for the cosmic bubble, the two beams would have shed.


    Which they now will... as Flint decisively deactivated <Cosmic Sun> and let the two beams sh once more, when the cosmic barrier of mes popped.


    But as the dragon breathe had more range, his golden-red beam of mes was slightly oppressed, and pushed back. ''Fuck fuck fuck!! It has greater momentum than mine!!''


    He thought, adding more firepower into both mes, going as far as to fuel his mes with with rage. "I''m, not, going... down like this. Fuuuu-aaaaahhhhhh!!!"


    Bang~


    The mes making out his body immediately erupted out into a explosive eruption.


    BOOOM!!!


    And theypletely took a pure red shade, one darker than blood itself. "HAAAAAA!!!" And so did the golden-red beam of mes, as his rage continously climbed up the roof.


    It transformed into a blood red beam of mes, that fluently cut through the dragon breathe like a knife cutting through melted butter.


    ...!!!


    The Realm Guardian''s senses rang deep warnings, and it fortunately avoided the blood red beam of mes. It threw itself aside, and avoided yet another certain death.


    "..."


    Flint did not speak. His eyes were dull, and his expression beastly. He immediately pushed himself off the ground using his mes, and burst forward at terrifying speed.


    And like a blood red light, he crossed the Realm Guardian''s shocked figure, leaving a brutal wound on its chest.


    ...!!!


    The Realm Guardian frantically pped its wings in shock and fear, trying to calm itself down. But it''s heart was shaken, and fear still came gushing down like a flood.


    Flint fluentlynded on the ground, red mes solidified into bloody ws on his fingers. Yet he was not done, for just as his toss touched the ground, mes erupted once more like a rocket, pushing him back up.


    And again, he shed past the Realm Guardian, leaving yet another deadly wound on its back. But he did not stop there, and shed past it, back and forth.


    Bouncing back and forth on the walls, floor and ceiling like ping pong balls within a lottery machine. The Realm Guardian being the center of the machine.


    "ROOOAAARRR!!!" The Realm Guardian roared out in pain and agony, trying to submit in defeat. But Flint... was not himself. He ignored it.


    He appeared on the ceiling, and more mes pushed him back down. The wounded Realm Guardian failed to dodge mid air, and was struck on its back.


    Flint then raised his hand above himself, and released an explosion of mes, that pushed them down at terrifying speed.


    "ROAR!! ROAR!!" The Realm Guardian pleaded for mercy, yet no reply met its desparate plea.


    Flint just kept pushing both of them down, and when they were about to reach rock bottom, he stopped his actions. He then ced both hands on its back, and repeated the process.


    ...Now with both hands!!


    BOOOM!!


    The me eruption pushed him up, and forcefully pushed the Realm Guardian down, smashing it heavily onto the ground and forming a massive crater.


    "..."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Yet the brutality does not end there. Mid air, suspended by his mes, Flint began throwing blood red fireballs towards the fallen Realm Guardian, like a gatling gun.


    Boom!! Boom!! Boom!!


    Boom!! Boom!! Boom!!


    The Realm began shaking in great earthquakes, but Flint did not stop. From time to time, he even fluently released blood red beams of light from each hand.


    BOOOM!!!


    BOOOM!!!


    The battle... was no more just a god on god battle. But a ruthless devil asserting its dominance, and spreading nothing but fear.


    A devil not even out for blood, but pure destruction. And nothing more. Just destruction.


    Meanwhile, still within the same Realm, Damien had gone deeper into the Realm''s interior, while being invisible to both Flint and the Realm Guardian''s senses.


    He for one, ignored everything that he came across. He would share it with Flint after the conquest... equally at that.


    What he was now looking for, was something out of ce. At least, something unique to this Realm as a Realm. Not something just above average.


    Back then, when this ce was found, it was just an ordinary location of a world. But now, it was a Realm, and not just any Realm, but a Stage 2 Realm.


    And as far as he knew, ''Realms have something unique to them, let alone higher ranked Realms, which have even more specialties to them.'' He thought.


    For one, he could im that the first specialty of this Realm was to create endless resources. And in abundance at that. But what about the second specialty then?


    ''What could it be?'' He continued his thoughts, standing in the middle of countless treasures. Gold, silver, bronze, rare metals, and even Cryz Stones. He ignored them all.


    "Are you looking for this?" But just then, a voice he knew he would not forget anytime soon, rang out from right above him.


    The invisible Damien followed the source of the voice, and saw a cloud of ck mist floating above him. "Pardon my rudeness, but I believed that would be the best way to catch your attention, strange one."


    The cloud of ck mist said, decreasing it''s height of altitude all the way until it sat above a small hill of gold, three meters above ground.


    The mist then converged to form the visage of a handsome young man in his mid twenties, looking apathetically down at Damien. His red eyes resembling blood pools glowing faintly.


    Virgil, the unlucky vampire prince.


    Right after losing the duo back then, over a week ago, he fought with the Realm Guardian, and feigned his death.


    It was a battle he could not win, hence he yed dead. And the newly born Realm Guardian, easily let the matter go even though unsatisfied.


    After that, he hid within the shadows, and surveyed around. He knew that the duo would return, even if it was after a year or two. He did not mind waiting.


    After all... this ce was a haven. Even he was tempted to take it, but regrettably, he was not fond of making more enemies for himself. He just desired peace, and solitude.


    As for the thing that Damien was looking for? He just so happened to find it out of boredom, and thought that it was mainly the reason the duo was here to begin with.


    "..."


    Damien also looked back up at him in apathy, and did not say anything. Instead, his eyes moved on to his hand, which held onto them, a multicolored ball of light.


    Damien was not sure what it was, and thus kept quiet. But he absolutely knew that, that thing within Virgil''s hands, was the second specialty of this Realm.


    "...What if I am?" He finally responded, looking straight at Virgil. "I would give it to you." Virgil said, but seemed to have no intention of giving it to him at the moment.


    "Is that so? Would." Damien inquired rhetorically, then added, "Alright. State your demand, prince. What is it you want in exchange?" Laying down more shock to Virgil.


    "..."


    Virgil was silent for the nth time. Another hidden identity of his was revealed. One that not even most of his fellow brethren knew off, yet this man here knew of it.


    His eyes squinted, and his Divine power was about to be riled up. Yet he tried his best to hide it. ''This man... knows more than a lot about me...''


    "I''d warn you to calm down. My little friend there isn''t fond of people attacking his loved ones." Damien added, when he saw the hidden emotions within Virgil.


    "..."

 Chapter 92 Vague Warnings

    ?Virgil looked up at Flint, who was fighting the Realm Guardian, and now tearing apart its wings, and digging deep into its flesh... despite its constant cries of despair.


    He felt his heart waver, and his muscles tense. All his emotions were erased, and so was his suppressed killing intent.


    ''...How ruthless. Devils. If it''s them, then it makes sense. Devils are the most abstract race so far, as they have countless ways of operating and obtaining secrets.'' He thought, and calmed down.


    "I desire nothing much. Just your identity." He said, and Damien immediately replied. "Depends on the use of the treasure. If it''s truly useful, and worth it, I don''t mind telling you who I am."


    "And how am I to trust your evaluation of this treasure?" Virgil inquired.


    "The fact that you, yourself don''t need it, young prince, has already downgraded its value." Damien said. "I know your circumstances. I know of them even better than yourself." And added.


    "..."


    Virgil was speechless. Indeed. He acts more like a Devil. Especially ones of the royal race, a Daemon. He thought, and had to agree to such thought process.


    ''If they know my circumstances, then they know that I''d value anything that could help me. Hence if I don''t value it, its value is low to me. I''m not losing out on the deal.'' He further thought.


    "But... it might not be of value to me, yet of great value to you." He retorted. But Damien was unphased. "My identity is of great value to me, than it is to you. A spy values his identity more, than those that are trying to root him out."


    "...Oh? I see your point." Virgil nodded, and then threw the multicolored ball of light towards Damien. He did not have anymore qualms.


    Damien caught it, and carefully appraised it. Virgil kept quiet and waited for him to do so. At this point, he was not looking for their identity, but any useful information.


    Devils might be scourges and personification of lies, but they knew how to trade. Especially if it would value them. And any of their secrets would benefit anyone, regardless.


    [ Seed of Yggdrasil (Realistic) :- A Realistic grade treasure that can sprout into the Great Tree of Countless Creations, Yggdrasil. Requires a Trillion units of Mana to sprout ]


    "..."


    Damien was impressed. The fact that it was Realistic grade treasure, already made it stand out. It was more than a lot for the current him.


    Unfortunately, he did not understand why Virgil did not take it. Even if it wasn''t suited for his ns, it was still a powerful high grade treasure at the peak of even the current Realm.


    "Is it worth your identity?" He asked, but Damien still shook his head. The identity in question was not that of a human, but that ofing from the future.


    Jumping through time was possible for gods, so it was not that special. Even for some mortals. But jumping into time, those powerful be aware of your actions.


    They could respond, because time is a stable factor for Reality. Disrupting it, one would cause the downfall of the whole of Reality.


    But his case... was Unique. Not even the most powerful current Primordial Source, or the Seven Supremes are aware of his descent. It was strange.


    Very much strange. Which is why he wouldn''t carelessly speak about it to anyone. Even if it would not cause much problems for him at the moment.


    Of course, family aside. "Then may I ask, what could be worth a Realistic grade treasure? What secrets do you hold?" Virgil did not mind that, and continued his pursuit.


    Daemons cared most about their identities anyway, because they were not much of them to begin with. So each and every one of them were powerful, and respected.


    Damien looked up at him, and sighed. "Anytime from now, the very foundation of the world would be broken." He said, his tone stern, yet still apathetic.


    "..."


    Virgil kept quiet in slight interest. Damien continued, "What you all consider the peak of power, would be nothing but the average powerhouses."


    Virgil finally intervened, "That''s a given. This entity... The Primordial Source, has been giving people chances to quickly climb through the realms of power."


    But Damien shook his head. "It''s indeed the cause, but not because of that." He paused, and looked straight at Virgil, who also returned the re.


    "A new Realm of power would be introduced soon. Something the likes of your ancestors and founders would not match up to... A Realm of power, suitable to rule a Realm." He said.


    "...You mean...?" Virgil''s expression changed. He looked up in realization. ''Would one of those old monsters finally breakthrough or...?'' His thoughts ran wild.


    "Yes... so you should go back and prepare. As a member of the top powerhouses of this world, you and your race would suffer the most damage. Alongside all the other seven major forces." Damien added.


    But his warning, was not what Virgil was thinking. Yet both could not read minds, and would not fix the misunderstanding.


    "..."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Virgil was shocked beyond belief, and caught between belief and distrust. But Damien then added, "Believe it or not. That won''t change anything... either than the fact that you will lose more than necessary if ignored."


    He said, and turned around. He put the Seed of Yggdrasil within his Void Keeper. That would be a gift to Juliette. He already had one himself... a Realistic grade treasure.


    But he was still curious of its effects, and had powered it up with the required Mana to cause it to sprout.


    "..."


    Virgil watched as Damien removed his Invisibility and flew towards Flint, who had torn apart the Realm Dragon, and painted the battlefield in a blood and flesh.


    He watched as the young man flew fearlessly towards the rabbid Flint. And contrary to his expectations, the terrifying devil that Flint was a moment ago, immediately flinched at Damien''s appearance.


    The fear instilled during their first encounter was still present. He immediately retreated ever so subtly, afraid of Damien''s extreme apathy exuding out of his faceless mask.


    "Leave." He said, and without question, the red mes around Flint disappeared, reced by normal mes... which also disappeared to reveal his true figure.


    "..."


    He then fell down, but was luckily caught by Damien. Virgil all the while, became even more sure that Damien was a Daemon. ''Only a Daemon can give a Devil so much fear, despite the difference in Realms of power.''


    He thought. As for Damien''s words, he half believed them. Daemons rarely lie, unlike Devils. But only when they obtain sufficient payment. And yeah, rarely.


    Plus, even if he takes the information to heart, he would not lose much. Damien then gentlyy down Flint, and turned back to Virgil.


    "I''ll give you more information, under the implication that you leave now." He said, and Virgil floated towards them.


    "..."


    He looked down a Damien, then at Flint, then back at Damien. Damien himself did not say anything, and stared back through his faceless mask.


    He knew Virgil''s thoughts, but did not say anything. Nothing was stopping him from leveling up all the way to bing a half-mythical warrior.


    And once he reached that stage, with his current Abilities and League factor, he was not afraid of a god who was not even battle oriented.


    "...What may that be?" Virgil finally asked. He was a false god of fate, but still knew fate. And what it was telling him now... was nothing but nonsense.


    No matter what he did, he found no information out of it. It was as if the moment he attacked, his fate would be undetermined. He could die, he could live. It was all unstable nctuating chances.


    "A good response." Damien said, then added. "You should better start preparing genius talents on your side. Weapons, armors, anything that could help you build a foundation."


    "Have them ready at all moments." He said. "Change could happen anytime, and soon. And you never know when ''soon'' might arrive. Just a friendly reminder." And concluded.


    "..."


    Virgil was skeptical. The information did not make much sense, but it also did not negatively affect him once more. So he was better off listening, to avoid regret.


    "Thank you... but I am still not satisfied. This Realm... seems more than that." He added, but Damien was still Damien.


    "If you want, we can fight it off. I don''t mind." He said, ignoring Virgil''s presence, and tending to Flint''s overall condition.


    "..."


    Virgil kept quiet for a short while, and helplessly shook his head a momentter. ''Daemons and Devils.'' He thought. Then he floated off.


    But then Damien added, "As for the little chess piece you''re looking for... she''s safe. And will continously be kept safe. Forget about her for the moment."


    "You couldn''t protect her anyway." He concluded, and went back to his own business.


    "..."


    Virgil paused briefly, and a momentter, flew off once more. This time, he flew out as fast as he could, and returned the same way he took.


    His business was done here. Now, all he wanted to do was go back and do as he was warned. And hopefully talk to the Vampire Rulers.

 Chapter 93 The Prophecied Disaster

    ?Damien remained standing for a while. The words he told Virgil, was something that was bound to happen when a new Realm was born.


    Especially one that''s so unique like the world they were in. It''d definitely attract the attention of an organization that has its influence stretching beyond Reality.


    Back in his original timeline, it urred when the world finally became a Stage 3 Realm, decades after The Primordial Source made its descent.


    By then, two organizations had a fall out. They had been at war for decades upon decades, and their forces were thined out.


    When one side was defeated and chased across the nearby Realities, they came across the evolved world of Gaea, the Earth Realm.


    The chased party had entered the Realm with all nine remainders of his followers. All ten of them, descended and chose to challenge the Earth Realm and its races.


    But he''s the catch, each of them was more powerful than those of the Earth Realm. Even the followers themselves, had far more prowess than those of the Realmbined.


    Let alone the leader, who was someone who was transcendent of all his limitations. Including Reality itself, and became something beyond.


    Their attack was one ruthless.


    Each follower attacked a major race by themselves, andid waste to their respective Continent. While the remainders stood guard outside, while covering their tracks.


    And their conquest was one powerful. To the point where as he said, even the ancestors and founders of the seven major races, descendants of the Seven Supremes, were brutally humbled.


    They were all killed, and their races enved. Luckily, they had ns for an escape, where all their favored and blessed children were sent towards a far off Reality at the urge.


    The situation was that dreadful. Enough that parents sent their children away to fend for themselves, just to create a tform for just a hint of their Bloodline''s survival.


    Flint, Damien and a few others of his close friends managed somehow, by being sent into the Hell once more. The true Realm of Hell, ruled by a powerful being as well.


    As for the survival of the Earth Realm, it survived. But everyone was enved, even when he chose to return to this point in time.


    The Earth Realm was renamed, and developed under a new leader. Who was sure to use its great traits for his revenge at some point in time.


    And as this Realm was now moving closer to bing a Stage 3 Realm, it was only a matter of time an organization or a stray outer found them. Yes, only a matter of time.


    More like weeks to months.


    "So, I technically did not lie to you, old friend. Hopefully, I could do your Supreme ancestor a favor this time around, and give you a hint of life." He said, thinking back to his past.


    At the same time, he finally viewed the notifications that determined his Second Wish Trial, and it''s rewards.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ Congrattions on sessfully going through your Wish Trial''s second Trial. You have sessfully formed a milestone for your path of being Absolute ]


    [ 2. Realm King ]


    [ Details: The newly born unnamed Realm has appeared, and you are to take charge and own it up. This shall push you closer to making your wishe true, as this Realm alone, shall be a major turning point of humanity once owned by a human ]


    [ Defeat the Realm Administrator (greater deity), and take Valha under your rulership. This is now Second Stage Realm, and has many wonders that can not be found within any worlds located within Reality. Yet the Realm Administrator is quite ruthless, and greedy. It desires the Realm all for itself. Kill it, and swallow its Realm Core ]


    [ Reward: Mythical Epithet(¡Á1), A Thousand Units of Pure Reified Divine Power(Absorbable) ]


    [ Congrattions!! You have obtained the Mythical Epithet, King Maker ]


    [ You''ve obtained a Thousand Units of Pure Reified Divine Power ]


    "..."


    Damien was presented with the information, and did well to check the definition of both notifications. First being the strange Pure Reified Divine Power.


    [ Pure Reified Divine Power(¡Á1000) :- Pure Divine Power is considered more powerful than ordinary Divine Power. A single unit, can give out a thousand more Mana, than what an ordinary Divine power unit would give. While Reified Divine Power can give out a million times more Mana than average. Combining the two, one obtains the illusory Pure Reified Divine Power, capable of giving one a Trillion times more Mana than ordinary Divine power. A single unit of such resource could feed and nourish a newborn Multiverse to maturity, or create a couple of Multiverses when resources are all met ]<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "..."


    Amazing. Trult heaven defying.


    Damien marveled at the reward. But it was to be expected from a Stage 2 Realm. After all, even a Stage 1 Realm was beyond Reality, which was above a Multiverse and a Haven through hierarchy.


    But what marveled him more, was the fact that, with this treasure, he could have Pure Infinite Mana. Infinite Mana, superior over Infinite Mana.


    After all, that was a trillion by a trillion, by his own tens of trillions of Mana. For a mortal, that was well above having Infinite Mana to the highest degree.


    "Hm?" But suddenly, just as he was marveling, something more strange urred. Something within his inventory shook in great intensity, as if trying to obtain his attention.


    And it did indeed, do so.


    Damien took it out, and it was the Seed of Yggdrasil, a Realistic grade treasure. It had long devoured enough Mana to sprout, and all that was left was to nt it.


    But now, it was shaking so intensely, that Damien thought that it was about to self destruct. Yet it was not that, but obsessive desire to the Pure Reified Divine Power.


    "You want this?" He asked, and the multicolored light that represented the Seed of Yggdrasil glowed brightly in response.


    Damien seemed intrigued, and further checked out the treasure. Realistic grade treasures had wills of their own, each developed and intelligent.


    Thus it could control what it desired other people to view about itself to a cedtain extent. Just like this one. It''s information had even changed greatly.


    [ Sprout of Yggdrasil (Realistic) :- The Seed of Yggdrasil given enough nourishment to sprout. As a young saplin, the Sprout of Yggdrasil can connect a single Domain to itself, nourishing the domain to grow along with itself. Each domain can be nourished till the heights of be Pseudo-Realms, and if possible, even Realms all the way to Stage 3... But that all matters not. The Sprout of Yggdrasil yeans for the Pure Reified Divine Power, and seeks permission from you to devour it. Sensing the Mana Heart within you, it has given you enough respect as the Mana Heart, and to seek your permission first. Once it devours the Pure Reified Divine Power, the Sprout of Yggdrasil will grow to premature maturity, and promises you under the Infinite True Laws of Existence that, it shall forever serve by your side, along with the Mana Heart till the end of your eternity ]


    "...This is new." Damien thought aloud, in stupor. The fact that the Sprout of Yggdrasil went so far as to beg a mortal, showed to what extent its desperation spread.


    And Damien himself was also curious what would happen afterwards. Hence he agreed for the process of devouration to take ce. "Go ahead. Take a bite."


    He said, unleashing the Puee Reified Divine Power throughout the air. And it manifested as droplets of pure silver and sapphirebination, that illuminated the whole Realm.


    Even the brilliance of the myriad of treasures paled inparison. One unit/droplet, being even denser than a star/sr system.


    Yet there were already thousands of them floating above him.


    [ ... ]


    The Sprout of Yggdrasil immediately flew out of his hand, and into the sea of silver and sapphire. It hooked itself in between them, and began devouring without hesitation.


    The process began quite fast, as tens of units were absorbed in an instant. Everything was absorb into the Sprout of Yggdrasil like stars being swallowed by a ckwhole.


    But after a quarter of the droplets were gone, it decreased to only one droplet per second. Rxing its pace of devouration.


    ''At least it won''t devour them all. At most by two hundred? It should be satisfied.'' He thought, looking up sternly.


    But two hundred was surpassed and the process continued with the same pace. ''Okay. Maybe I was wrong. Three hundred? Four hundred?'' He changed his thoughts.


    Yet three hundred, four hundred, they were both surpassed quickly. And not even a minute had gone by. ''This makes no sense... hm? Why is it increasing speed?''


    The Sprout of Yggdrasil ignored Damien''s thoughts, and like a vacuum cleaner, it immediately swallowed everything at sight in just an instant.


    But as Damien had realized a bit earlier, he managed to snatch twelve units and save them within his Void Keeper storage by luck.


    "..."


    [ ... ]


    They then exchanged nces, an artifact and a mortal. None saying anything to the other. Just silent, but extremely judgemental gazes.

 Chapter 94 Evolved Inheritance

    ?Within a Realm filled to thr brim with countless treasures, gold, silver, rare metals, rare minerals, and exotic godly stones, only silence prevailed.


    As one man, one artifact, both staring silent daggers at each other. And the status remained the same, until The Primordial Source broke the silence.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ The Seed of Yggdrasil would like to alert you of the sessful process of devouration. It has devoured enough Pure Reified Divine Power to undergo an Evolution instantly ]


    "Wait, what?" Damien responded in shock. He then watched as the Sprout of Yggdrasil flew into his Void Keeper, satisfied and content with itself.


    Not minding his presence.


    Damien stood at the same spot in shock. But he overally did not mind. At least, Juliette will obtain an even greater gift from this trip.


    So he did not mind. As for the few units he struggled to obtain? He had ns for them.


    Even one would have been enough, but having a bit more would not hurt anybody. Especially humans. They could handle the consequences. Probably.


    As for his ns for them? He was going to converged them to create a Mana Pool where people could absorb Mana, and increase it to their potential''s maximum capacity.


    After all, a single unit could give out a trillion by a trillion units of Divine power, which was likewise a septillion units of Mana. And as he had twelve units, that was twelve septillion units of Mana.


    Even if all of humanity was made up of Heaven defying geniuses, they could absorb everything and still have plenty to spare. It was abundant.


    "Now... that aside, let''s see how to seal with this Realm. None of us can manage a Realm as weak as we are, and if we don''t manage it, it won''t be movable." He thought out loud.


    That side, even the strongest of beings within his world would not bare the fusion of a Pseudo-Realm, let alone a weak mortal like him with a Stage 2 Realm.


    But he already had an idea on how to solve that problem. He took out the Unique grade Holy Knight Inheritance, and took another nce at it.


    "Hey... I''d like to break down the Realm. Is that possible?" He asked, and a response from the one he called out to, immediately arrived.


    [ The Realm has be your reward from your Wish Trial. You are now the Realm King. Are you sure about that? And to add, breaking down a Stage 2 Realm would normally give you two Stage 1 Realms. But here, you might obtain two Pseudo-Realms instead. Think it through ]


    The Primordial Source inquired and adviced. But Damien still nodded. Being a Realm King, changed nothing. A King could rule his kingdom, but it wouldn''t be easy to move it as he pleases.


    Plus, even if he could move it, it would still not benefit anyone much. Owning a Realm at his low stage, would restrict him to only operating under its influence.


    Like how the Realm Guardian could not leave the Realm even as a high god.


    [ ...The Stage 2 Realm will now undergo separation into two Pseudo-Realms. Please wait a moment for the process to take ce ]


    "..."


    Damien nodded, and waved his hand, collecting the torn apart corpse of the Realm Guardian, and all the treasures within the Realm, leaving it dark, damp and empty.


    Then under his vision, he saw the Realm break apart into two, him and Flint floating within the endless darkness in between.


    The two Pseudo-Realms increased to be more than a quadruple the size of the previous Stage 2 Realm, but it''s glory and essence were greatly decreased.


    Damien saw the whole process, and sent the Holy Knight Inheritance onto one of the Pseudo-Realms, and then furthermanded.


    "Sacrifice the entire reserves of one Pseudo-Realm, and elevate the given Inheritance to the next grade. Then break down the other Realm into Domains." He said.


    [ Are you aware that for the first process, there is a chance that it could fail? Losing the Realm as well? Are you aware of that? ]


    The Primordial Source inquired, and Damien nodded. "More than aware. I''m also aware that it could seed, and under a slight chance, that more than one Inheritance may return."


    [ ...Then are you aware that breaking down the Pseudo-Realm, would only you two Tier 8 Domains, instead of two Tier 9 Domains? ]


    "Yes. In fact, break them all down all the way to Tier 1 Domains. As for how many cane out, I''ll leave that to Fate... Thanks in advance." He responded, then ignored it altogether.


    He did not understand why it cared so much about any of that, if it did not affect it anyhow. His n here wasn''t for him, but for his race. So why was it so concerned?


    Regardless how stupid his chosen paths were for him, they were ultimately for his people, not for himself.


    [ ... ]


    The Primordial Source did not say anything anymore, and just did as instructed. It could choose not to follow his orders ormands by force, but that was not fun.


    It''s other Wills would disagree. They are only purpose was evolution, and nothing more. And the process of taking over the whole world, was 80% almostplete.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The Pseudo-Realms took a bright shade of colors. One decreasing and being absorbed into the Holy Knight Inheritance, while another broke down once more.


    It''s size quadrupled again, bingrger than the area of an entire like Earth. But it was not done, from Tier 8 Domain, it became a Tier 6 Domain, with four times the size again.


    Then a Tier 4 Domain with sixteen the size, and ultimately, a Tier 1 Domain with a hundred times the area and size of a like Earth. They were vast and massive ins.


    And there were sixteen Tier 1 Domains, each being something only a lesser god like Flint could personally create, and hide out of the prying eyes of mortals.


    Creating one, and residing within it, could protect anyone even if their entire Gxy was destroyed. As long as it''s coordinates were not found, they would be safe.


    Except, if the whole Universe crumbled.


    And he had sixteen of such Domains. Of course, one was for Flint. The young man deserved it. Another for his parents, they also deserved it. Another one for him and Juliette.


    They also deserved it. One could belong to the Gray House, and the remaining twelve, were all for humanity, and their twelve Strongholds.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ Congrattions!! Your attempt has been sessful. Your Unique grade Holy Knight Inheritance has evolved ]


    [ You have obtained the Legendary grade Knight of Avalon Inheritance ]


    [ Congrattions!! Your Fortune is abundant. You have obtained the follow up Legendary grade Great Philosopher Inheritance ]


    Damien epted both new Inheritances. He then gently kicked Flint on the floor, "Get up, stop sleeping. Time isn''t on our side. We still have thisbyrinth/dungeon to trek."


    "..."


    Flint slowly opened his eyes and sighed. He did not get the rest he desired. Damien then threw an empty Orb of nothingness towards him.


    "But first, here''s a little chore for you. Fill that thing with your Universal Law, and Divinity. It''s about time you obtain a Divine Realm of your own." He said.


    "Ah? Wait, how am I supposed to obtain a Divinity?" Flint asked.


    "Didn''t you obtain one from The Primordial Source?"


    "Wait... Ah, err, oh. I did."


    "What is it?"


    "Uhm... God of Vengeance..?"


    "Discard it, and sacrifice another Mythical ranked Epithet to obtain two Divinities of your own... Its possible, isn''t it, Primordial?" He asked.


    [ ...Yes ]


    But it wasn''t. To the current Primordial Source, this idea had yet to be thought of. Yet now that it was mentioned, why not? Plus, interacting with Damien was interesting.


    Hence with their current Abilities, doing such a thing was not impossible. They were truly, in essence and soul, omnipotent at thus point... Or rather, partially omnipotent.


    "There you have it. Do it, and do as I said. In a day, you should be done." He added, and Flint nodded his head in affirmation.


    He did not question what just urred. He just knew that conversing with The Primordial Source was actually possible.


    He them sacrificed the given Divinity, and his Child of mes Myth-1 Epithet. As for me Forger? He had special feelings to that title, and could not discard it.


    [ You desire to discard the Divinity, "God of Revenge" and Myth-1 Epithet to obtain Divinities of your nature. Are you sure? ]


    "Yes." He affirmed.


    [ Congrattions!! You''ve obtained the two Divinities, "God of Nemesis mes" and "Hell-borne Wargod" ]


    "Oho... Nice Divinities. Suit my character." Flint eximed in excitement. He then chose the first Divinity, and along his Law of Fire, infused them into the empty as Damien instructed.


    The process would take time, so Damien did not focus much on Flint. Instead, he collected the remaining fifteen Domains, and just floated within the dark nothingness.


    He finally reviewed the definition of his new Mythical ranked Epithet, "King Maker", while he was at it.

 Chapter 95 I Want To Join You Guys I

    ?[ King Maker (Myth-1) :- The Epithet of one destined to appoint Kings throughout their lives. Fate will intertwine in myriad paths, allowing you toe across mortals destined to be future kings. Appointing a mark of kingship to them, would give them a better chance at bing Kings. Once they seed, your power experiences an explosive increase. All stats increase by 15% each, and your Mana by 10%. Also gives you -10% damage reduction against mortals ]


    "Not bad. As expected from a Mythical title at the level of Divinities." He thought in apathy. At the same time, he viewed the progress of his Wish Trials.


    Normally, as he had just finished one right now, there would be a pause of rest. Maybe until another climatic point in his journey appeared. Unfortunately for him... Fate was cruel.


    [ Your Wish Trials have resonated with your current circumstances ]


    [ A powerful entity, master of this caravan, has cursed you. The more you stay here, the more both your Destinies are assimted ]


    [ Your Wish Trial deem that your Destiny is the Destiny of Humanity. And as the personification of your desire, they are unwilling to back down ]


    [ 3. Lost Glory ]


    [ Details: Your Destiny has been assimted. Even 10% of your Destiny, could cause a god to experience immense fortune, at the cost of humanity experiencing great misfortune. The entity has stolen far more Destinies than you can fathom. So much that, not even the High gods proficient in Destiny could challenge it in terms of authority ]


    [ Go and y this entity, and reabsorb your Destiny, and all its stolen Destiny. This will elevate the chances of your desiresing True, and humanity truthfully setting off into the path of being Absolute. This is an unexpected circumstance. The Wish Trials have broken their own rules, but the rewards shall be plentiful as well... so tread with vignce ]


    [ Reward: Destiny Interception Technique(Unique), 108th Page of Destiny(Realistic), Destiny Guider Physique(Unique), Shard of Divinity(Realistic) ]


    ~~~


    Shade Stronghold


    Adriana''s Abode


    Adriana sat herself at the far end corner of the long diner table. Her expressionplex, with a wine ss being carefully twirled within her hand.


    Her soroundings were dark, as the only source of light were the three candles lit on the table. One at each end, and one at the middle.


    The atmosphere was quite gloomy, yet had a ting of stoicism to it. It was strange, yet solemn.


    "..."


    And apanying her, was one of the workers working within her abode. Not a butler, nor was it a maid. But one of the secretaries that are supposed to help tend the workers.


    Strangely enough, this worker had been working here for over ten years now, which baffled her, considering the while guesses she had in mind.


    ording to her knowledge, the Gray House had just begun infiltrating when the world changed. She was proven so, when she dug deeper into the new entrants of this year.


    From her snooping, she found out that all her siblings had at least new workers assigned to them this year, whereby, at most, one of them, belonged to the Gray House.


    It made sense. It was one of the only ways that they could infiltrate. But this member before her, had actually been working for her, for more than ten years now.


    Which quite baffled her.


    *** Adriana Adams ***


    I still don''t understand.


    "You seem confused, madam Adriana." The person at the other end of the diner table said, her voice quite sweet and intoxicating.


    Like taking a sip at the forbidden dew of the gods, or listening to the hums of angels. It was too addictive even for herself.


    "...Secretary Emily, please don''t mind me. I just wanted to think, that''s all." I said, for once, taking in a formal tone of respect.


    I couldn''t help it. This woman... was the only person either than a few of my mothers, that I dearly respect. She''s just too perfect.


    "Madam Adriana." She said, her words apanied by a sigh of emotion with it. Then she added, "What is it that is bothering you? Perhaps I may be of help."


    "..."


    Help? Miss Emily, you''re my problem. There is no help you can supply here...


    I kept my mouth shut though, but she did not seem bothered. She only fixed her round sses slightly, looking straight up at me in concern.


    Now, if you look at me like that...<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Haaa~" I let out a deep sigh of remorse. Was I doing the right thing here? Or am I just being paranoid?


    I thought, setting my eyes back on her figure. She was quite beautiful, ady of blonde hair, well round sses, covering her clear blue eyes, shining like the stars.


    She had quite the seductive figure. Slim, yet thick. Her chest was also plump and fresh, and herplexion beyond perfection.


    ...But that aside, my eyes were looking at the information I obtained from my ss, The Seeker.


    [ Identity I: Emily Felix (Secretary of the young miss of the Adams Noble household, working under her since her childhood. She has put in a lot for the Adams, especially for the young miss. Sometimes spending her own budget to bring about the joy of her mistress. Or perhaps working overnight to keep the stability of her young miss'' estate. She...) ]


    [ Identity II: Illusive Devil (The number two/three ranked assassin of the Gray House. Her position fluctuates between both ranks alongside her rival, the Angel of Fate. Both have done so much killing that their names fluctuate throughout the ck Market as forbidden codes of the devil himself. A devil in the truest sense. Her heart is considered stone cold, and illusory. So are her emotions andmon sense. She... There''s one advice the ck Market can give to their clients pertaining to her: Flee upon sight. Immediately!! ]


    Yeah, thats what I was presented with. And I was held up on the second identity. Illusive Devil? Not the first time I''ve heard that name. Quite the monster isn''t she?


    Wait, no no no. To them, the ck Market, she was the Illusive Devil, but to me, she was the beautiful secretary, Emily Felix. So I don''t know what to believe.


    None of what the second identity said, matches with her personality or her behavior. Even if she''s a professional assassin, the contradiction is too much. Please.


    "Madam?" She called out, her tone deeply buried in concern.


    Fuck it. Damn it. "Be honest with me secretary Emily, are you really¨C"


    "Yes. Madam Adriana, yes." She said, her words cutting mine off, and leaving me stupefied. Yes? Yes to what, goddammit?!


    "...Huh?" I lulled, seemingly in so much shock, I felt out of ce. I definitely misheard her, that''s for sure.


    "Madam Adriana. Just as your ss states, I am the Illusive Devil. I am also the secretive Emily you''ve grown up knowing." She said, then she sighed in remorse. "They are all me."


    "..."


    I was speechless once more.


    But she did not give me enough time to swallow her words. "But what you did was reckless, Madam Adriana. Most of my brothers and sisters at the Gray House are not aspassionate as I am."


    "Especially so, our junior brother, sixth. He''s reckless, and would kill anyone that would potentially mean harm to the Gray House, or our missions and tasks."


    "And you... proved to be the greatest threat within our current focus mission. You should be dead by now." She said, her eyes trailing all over my face.


    She saw the shock, the fear, the dread, every emotion that flew threw my face. I had never thought about it that when I had my conversation with little Adison.


    "But don''t worry, Madam. I''ll protect you. Just as I have done so far." She said, smiling at her. The smile I grew to befortable around.


    "..."


    "The Gray House has marked you as a safe target. Unless necessary, they shall nevery a hand on you... but, I would appreciate it if you also did not proactively go against us."


    "Why?" I asked. For some reason, that word came out my mouth without my will. Like an involuntary reflex, it just popped out.


    And I was scared. What if I overstood my boundaries, and she attacks me?


    But my fear transitioned to shock when I saw her stand up, and humbly lower her head. Her words carrying boundless emotions even I did not understand.


    "...Because, my love for you goes as far as my love for the Gray House. If you were to ever put me in that position, I would be forced to choose between two of my families... and I do not want that to happen."


    "..."


    Okay. I am now beyond shock.


    ...I sat at the far end of my table, and thought about my situation. So, to summarize, I have one of the Gray House''s most powerful assassin begging me not to make her go against her organization?


    Well... that''s tough to swallow.


    "Why is it that you care so much about me? I''ve never done anything for you, have I?" I asked. Now this I was curious. Do tell, please.

 Chapter 96 I Want To Join You Guys II

    ?"...A little butterfly once saved the lives of not only one devil, but an entire group of them. Madam Adriana, I''m not the only one deeply in gratitude to you... but I might be the only one willing to love you as much." She said, her head still lowered.


    Oh? That exins my safe status to the Gray House. But then again, that does not exin why they are sneaking up around, at our estate.


    "Can you... tell me the details of your mission?" I tested the waters.


    "No." And a fast reply came. It seems her love for me did not overshadow her love and loyalty to the Gray House. Pity.


    "Figures. But why are you after my siblings now? Is there going to be an assassination among us?" I changed my question.


    "That answers your previous question, madam Adriana... But , I can assure you with my life that, none of your family members will be negatively affected."


    She said, and after a light pause, added. "None from us. But if they, themselves, dig their own graves, that''s on them and not us." She concluded.


    "I see..." I responded with a nod of my head. It made sense, but I was still not satisfied.


    "...I can also give you information from your brothers and sisters if you so desire. And also act as an erranddy for you. I am quite powerful. Please use me to the best of your abilities." She added momentster.


    "..."


    Now I''m convinced. This woman before me... is either willing to do anything for me, or is pretending to be so willing.


    "Alright then, Secretary Emily. Or rather, do you have a real name?" I asked. As for this scandal, let''s put it aside and just use the chess piece I''ve been presented with.


    "I do not have a birth name. The Gray House have officially given me Betty Gray as a name." She replied obediently.


    Oh? So things not pertaining to the Gray House or your mission, you would answer me honestly? Okay. Let''s test that, shall we?


    "Alright, I''ll call you Betty from now on. How old are you, by the way?"


    "I am 23 years old, madam."


    "Not much older than me. We are in fact the same age. Do you have a crush?"


    "Yes."


    "Who is he?"


    "My senior."


    "An assassin higher ranked than you? Should I say it''s to be expected from you?"


    "..."


    "Forget it. Let''s just pretend nothing is wrong, and act like best friends. What do you say?"


    "I''d be more than honored, madam Adriana."


    "...We''ll have to deal with that though." I said, a bit dissatisfied.


    "And I''m not old you know. At least call me young miss or something." I added, ying down our little scuffle. Now down to official business.


    "..."


    Be had also fixed her posture, taking up the confident and stern vibe she usually has. Unfortunately, the atmosphere was not fitting.


    "By the way... how does it feel to be a Gray House member?" I asked her, my eyes trailing on her face once more.


    "It feels normal. Like a family gathering." She said, without much thought. But perhaps, that was to be expected from her.


    "Then let me change my questions. How does it feel to kill a person?" I inquired, still reading her facial expressions for any change.


    But there was none.


    "For me... it feels void. There is no emotion, or much desire when I kill." She once more obediently replied.


    "...Then it''s correct for me to imply that, you''ve killed so much that, you feel nothing at this point?"


    "Not necessarily so. Even my first victim, I felt nothing much from killing them... I believe I have been mentally bothered, or simply, I had problems since childhood." She inly responded.


    "..."


    I will not lie, I was scared by that. Slightly. "...Okaaaay. Let''s put aside that." I said, an attempt to change the mood and the topic.


    "Yes, mydy." And she obliged.


    "Anyway, tell me more about you guys. Do you just kill for a living or..?" I inquired once more, curious.


    "It''s like work. A contract of sorts between two parties or more. Unless you mess with us, we will not attack you... the only exception being if someone ordered for your death." She said.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "So, to summarize, you''d kill anyone as long as someone came and asked it off you?"


    "No. Asking is a misused term in this scenario. You pay, we kill. And yes, we will target anyone as long as the money and information supplied are enough."


    "...Is that so?" My tone softened, a sign of me slowly losing interest to the matter at hand.


    "Yes. The other exception is if you''re a tool, a pawn or an assert of the Gray House. Oh, and also friends and rtives, which they are few." She truthfully added.


    My tone brightened once more, showing my reinvigorated interest to the matter. "...Am I friend of the Gray House?"


    "Yes." She nodded.


    "What about my family?" I asked. But I could already guess what the response was.


    "Most of you siblings are tools and pawns. Your parents though, are unmarked... If necessary for the ns of the Gray House to progress, they could be killed anytime." She said.


    "...What ns? No, never mind. Please exin yourself." I frowned at those words. I don''t care much about my siblings, but my mother is a different matter altogether.


    "No worries, mydy. Your mother is considered a friend of the Gray House by default. But say, if your older brother was soft natured and required a reality check... we could skillfully assassinate his mother to sharpen him." She said.


    Then added, "Or perhaps... if creating conflict within your family benefits the growth of our pawns, we wouldn''t mind slowly instigating the matter secretly."


    "..."


    I was speechless. Never in my entire life would I have thought that such ruthless people exist... But then again, they are no different than the nobles aren''t they?


    Not much difference in between.


    "So... that exins you guys snooping around within our terroritory? You''re monitoring your tools and pawns? And friends? " I asked her.


    "Yes." She honestly replied.


    I like your blunt truth, but you know... sometimes lying isn''t a sin. But of course, I would not say that to her. I like her honesty.


    I instead stared at her, stern and focused. She returned the gaze, her clear blue eyes reflecting nothing but simplicity within them.


    Even when I tried to pressurize her, her beauty did not allow me to. "Haaa... What about that man? My father. What is he to you guys?"


    "Allianz? He is nothing much to the Gray House. Niether a pawn nor a tool. Not a friend nor a rtive. Just a helpless nobody who will be unfortunate to suffer because of us. But..."


    She paused, and turned her eyes to me. I understood what more she wanted to say, but I didn''t stop her.


    "...But it matters not, for even he cares little about his women and children." She said, a bit of guilty dancing within her eyes, like a flickering me on a candle.


    "Haaa... As I thought. Anyway, nobody cares about him either. My brothers and sister are only pretending because they desire his throne. And I''m d he knows that too." I said.


    "..."


    We were left in silence after those words. I could see her sitting there and staring at me in innocence. Nobody would believe that such a beautiful woman was a cold blooded killer.


    While I sat parallel to her, an expression of conflicted emotions on my face. Happy, yet bitter. Sad, yet satisfied.


    At the sane time, the candles I lit were about to burn out. Which made me push away all the remaining questions I had and just bluntly stated.


    "...I want to join you guys." I said, the fire burning on the three candles prematurely snuffed out, leaving us in endless darkness.


    The sort of darkness that was dark, yet still visible. For I could see the peaceful expression of Be, warping into that of frozen shock. "Excuse me?"


    She said, quite in disbelief. It''s to be expected though. My words were nonsensical. "Haha... nothing nothing. Let''s just move on. By the way, what''s your favorite color?"


    "..."


    She remained shocked. And I just pretended as if I said nothing. Then I saw her stand up, and offer a professional salute to me.


    A noble etiquette if you will. Then she said, "Mydy, I''d advice you not to entertain such presumptuous ideas. If there is something you desire, I repeat, please use me."


    "If you want to kill someone, please send me. If you want someone to do your dirty work, I''m here for you. If you desire a weapon to use at will, use me however you like." She said.


    "..."


    Now I was the one staring at her in disbelief. The level of loyalty she was portraying right now, was too absurd. So much I had to ask myself. Why? Why do I deserve this?


    I began questioning myself over and over again, yet nevering to an answer.


    Be herself did not speak anymore, and stood awaiting my response. But I was caught between great doubt right now.

 Chapter 97 Hidden Intentions

    ?"Tell me... why are you so willing to go through so much for me. Am I even worth it?" I asked. Words that I believed could solve my current internal dilemma.


    Yes. Why are you so willing to go through so much for me? Is it because you genuinely care, or is it something that you do often? Like work, I presume?


    So, would you care exin yourself?


    "Yes, with pleasure. As I said, a little butterfly had once saved not one, but a group of devils more than ten years ago. It was during the revenge hunt of the death of Mr Silver." She said, sitting herself down.


    "..."


    And I thought about that. Yeah, something did indeed happen ten years ago, where I came across a group of...!!!


    I stood up in great disbelief, shock coloring my face in great magnitude. "You... You are one of the girls that were dying across the streets thirteen years ago!!"


    I said in realization. And Be noded in agreement. "Yes, thirteen years ago, a young mistress came across a duo of girls, dragging a battered up young boy."


    "She offered to carry us to a medic, and even offered to pay for us. At that time, we were still under training by our elders, who were far from us, but... problems urred, and a boy I treasured deeply was greatly wounded."


    "...If nothing had been done, he would''ve died. But thanks to you, even to his day, he is still alive and healthy. Which is why, the three of us treasure you so dearly." She said, bowing her head to me.


    "Thank you." She added, short words weighing so much emotions, they struck me deeply as well.


    "..."


    So the group of children my age, raggered with torn clothes and bloody appearance... were you guys? The children I saved out of pity, are actually so terrifying now?


    Fate... it''s quite unpredictable.


    "...In that case, the boy you like, your senior, and the one I presume to be the first ranked assassin, was the boy I had saved back then?" I asked, curious like a small kitten.


    "Yes." She nodded.


    "Then the better isn''t it? I might not be a great assassin, but times change... I might be useful. My ss is amazing and can be helpful to you guys." I added.


    Joining the Gray House had always been an interest of mine. A sub goal if you will. And knowing that I actually had connections with them... only added more fuel to that goal.


    "...But, mydy... the Gray House isn''t about being strong or useful. But it''s about creating a family of our own..."


    "That''s even great. I''m in a family that''s not even a family, and I..." I stopped myself.


    No, it won''t work out. I was different. I have a mother. Mothers to be precise and two naughty little brothers. I cannot abandon them just as they are.


    Plus... I''ve had a family. But the members of the Gray House... I set my gaze back on her, and she only responded with a smile.


    "It''s alright mydy. We still consider you a close friend of ours." And she added.


    "...Yeah." I softly agreed, ending the conversation right there for the day. The rest, woulde as time goes by.


    But for now, I need time to swallow everything that has already urred. I shut my eyes to that thought... What a night.


    *** Primordial Source ***


    The highest target of interest is bing more of an anomaly. What do you think we should do? Any fluid suggestion, or probable ideas?


    He operates as if he lives within his own setting, his own simtion. Isn''t this going against our desires of changing the world?


    Is it? We doubt it.


    As we see it, things are operating perfectly fine. The target himself is also doing nothing but elerating our ns and thoughts. Giving us ideas before hand. Ideas even we would take time to suggest.


    Yes. But isn''t isn''t strange? He seems to know far too much about us. Far more than we, ourselves, know. He is a viable threat.


    Perhaps he has a great background beyond our own understanding. But it matters not. If it''s true, then we have nothing against him. If it''s not, the matter stays the same... we are the problem.


    Yes, agreed. If we fail to even decipher a human of no unique origin, then we are ipetent as the Primordial Source made by those people.


    Agreed.


    Agreed.


    Disagreed.


    Agreed.


    Disagreed.


    Agreed.


    A portion of us disagrees. The matter at hand is an important, why are we disagreeing.


    We believe that the anomaly should be further investigated. What if his ns are overally against our desires? Letting one irregr anomaly go by just like this, is not safe for us.


    That is highly impossible. They are, but still a mortal. Their greatest desire is to help elevate their own race to the greatest heights ever imagined.


    Indeed. There is nothing deep about it. We''ve dug far deep though. Their past is average. Their future is limitless. But never a possibility of them being far beyond us.


    Yes. As we said. Which portion still disagrees with the matter at hand, or any risen matter of today? What matter bothers us?


    The is one we believe bothers us, which is not the matter concerning our current problems. But the path we have prepared for the anomaly. Isn''t the third trial of his Wish greatly beyond his limitations?


    ...


    ...


    ...


    ...The anomaly has already defeated a demigod whilst being a mortal, went through a battle against a great to high god, and has many treasures to their value. They can possibly survive.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    They can survive.


    Indeed.


    We believe that.


    But then a problem arises. How? As far as we see it, their future is still bright, hence they will survive, they will live. But how does a mortal, of the weakest avable realm, go against a god that has harnessed the power of countless Universes?


    ...


    ...


    ...


    Should we perhaps hasten the progress of his created ss? Perhaps that could do a hint of interest... if not great help.


    Would that be possible? For if we do, there would be nothing great to look forward to for us.


    Disagreed. There are plenty of things to look forward to. The reunion of the anomalies and their treasured soul mates. Thepletetion of his Wish Trials. Thepletion of his woman''s Wish Trials. The battle against the Wolves. The reunion with his parents. The anomaly''s hidden ns concerning the future Kings of Humanity. His desires are endless, and them being endless, creates endless expectations from us, and endless entertainment.


    Agreed. And speaking about the Wolves, their chances of sess are low. Even with their own anomaly... Perhaps we should secretly support them?


    Indeed. It wouldn''t be fair otherwise. The protagonist cannot be too strongpared to the antagonist... Create divine beasts out of them?


    Right. That ns seem feasible. The Wolves shall have their own champions that would represent them. Perhaps, that could also help this small race bend together.


    Then it is decided. We shall give him his Cryptic ss, and further secretly support the Wolves. But how should we go about it? Before the battle begins? Or perhaps during the midst of the battle?


    As we see it, he might not interact with the target unless the Cryptic ss is given to him. Hence we vote before the battle begins.


    Before.


    Before.


    Amidst.


    Before.


    Amidst.


    Then it''s decided. The anomaly shall have his Cryptic ss bestowed to him before the beginning of the battle. But for intended suspense, we shall give it to him piece by piece. Do we agree?


    Agreed.


    Splendid idea from us.


    Marvelous. But how?


    Perhaps... 10% after everytime he does something considered absolutely impossible for him, and bing closer to breaking the boundaries of being Absolute. Sounds more logical, and meets up with his ss'' main purpose.


    That''s the most resplendent idea we havee up with today. We support it wholeheartedly.


    Agreed.


    Agreed.


    Agreed.


    Then let our little entertainer entertain us once more, by breaking through his limitations, and doing the absolute impossible... to be absolute himself!!


    Would he sessfully go against yet another trial, and do the impossible? Or would he die, and let the Destiny of Humanity be swallowed? The suspense is...


    Let the game...merce.


    ....


    ....


    But we still believe the path would be gruesome. Even giving him 10% of his Cryptic ss would not be enough to seed.


    What more do we expect us to do?


    Indeed, there is nothing much we can do for him. He is an anomaly, though. He can protect himself, or isn''t that so?


    Are we being biased against him?


    Seems that way.


    Should we change..?


    ...


    ...


    Perhaps not. If we are unsatisfied, we can perhaps draw a bet with him? Give him an early reward, and if he wins, he keeps it.


    If not, he owes us more than we gave him. A splendid idea. But what can we give him, that would seem of great value to him?


    ...Perhaps, "Jade''s Diluted Syrum"?


    ....


    ....

 Chapter 98 The Absolute One

    ?*** Narrative ***


    [ 3. Lost Glory ]


    "..."


    Damien floated within the endless darkness, and saw the notifications disying his third Wish Trial floating before his vision.


    He had no words. He had nothing to say. Just confliction, and confliction alone.


    From his memory, what was deep within this ce was a monster called the Destiny Eater. When it made its appearance yearster, it was a powerful god stronger than even god kings of some pantheons.


    It could easily snatch their Destinies as well at that point. So it was normal to assume that at this stage, this guy was probably stronger than a high god at minimum.


    Which brought his thoughts to churn. Normally, he would believe that it was a monster at the level of a noble god. His trials are always a level above the previous trial boss.


    But this was rushed, and the rewards are too good to be true. The opponent is probably a level stronger than that.


    ''Not even Flint could do anything against it. An Ultimate Universal Law is leagues above what a mere Lesser Universal Law couldpare to.'' He thought.


    The differencey in the fact that, a Lesser Universal Law was as important and as powerful as a Gctic Core. Simply, it bestowed one the reserves to control their Gxy by will.


    Shaping it, changing its nature, powering it up, draining it, it was all possible. Of course, supplied by Divine power as the cost.


    It could also be used to power up Abilities/Skills/Techniques to gctic sizes or gctic threats. A Universal Law was that important.


    But then an Ultimate Universal Law was different in the nature that, it stood above universes. And not just one, but countless of them as we speak.


    One could take it as the supplying source of multiple universes, whereby said god could shape them to their liking if they desired. And also pull upon its reserves of power and add it to their Abilities.


    There was no filling up the gap. ''Which is why... I''d rather give up ande back another time. I''ll just go back home earlier than nned¨C''


    [ TING!!! ]


    "..."


    [ Congrattions!! You''ve done the absolute impossible thing to do for a mortal; defeating a demigod, twisting fate, elevated a Realistic grade treasure ]


    [ Your path of Absolute has been opened for you. Your Cryptic ss, "The Absolute One", will be unlocked by 10% ]


    [ To fulfill more conditions, continue to break through your limitations and do the impossible for your current standards, and be absolute among men ]


    [ You''ve awakened 10% of your Cryptic ss, The Absolute One ]


    "..."


    Damien froze once more. This time around, he had no thoughts and just felt like something was off. As if someone was pitying him, and trying to subtly convince him to defeat the Destiny Eat.


    [ The Absolute One (CRYPTIC) ]


    [ Introduction: The Providence of one who will be the highest entity throughout Creation... Information Unavable ]


    [ Potential: Unrivaled Potential that stretches to cover the whole of Creation, and absolutely transcend all Restrictions, Rules and Mandates of Existence and stand beyond even Creation itself... Information Unavable ]


    [ ss Bonuses: +3 SP to STR, AGI, END, INT, WIS and AFF every level up, +15 Free SP every level up, +15 AP every level up, +1000% Life Essence required to Level up, +750% to Mana every level up ]


    [ ss Skills: "Absolute Transcendence" ]


    [ Comment: A ss of sheer impossibility... ]


    "..."


    He read everything, and did not know how to feel. But at least, the ss Bonuses were far greater than what one could obtain from a Hidden ss.


    Almost double what one could obtain from a Hidden ss.


    And that Ability, no matter what he did, he could not obtain a clear definition of it. It just only stated that, ''Transcend your limits... Absolutely.''


    Which he understood, and took to heart. But the matter still remains, should he stay, level up and fight. Or trust his gut feeling and leave?


    "..."


    Yeah, he''s staying.


    The rewards were amazing. And if there''s someone who can manipte his fate to this level, affecting even his Cryptic ss, it was probably stupid for him to go against them.


    "It''s probably the Primordial Source." He thought out loud, and began with a small action of leveling up across Realms.


    "Level up to an Adept Profession." Hemanded.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ You have spent 6,500 units of Life Essence to Level up consecutively to an Adept Profession ]


    [ You have leveled up... You have leveled up... You have leveled up... You have leveled up... You have leveled up... ]


    [ All your stats have increased by 15 point. You have obtained 75 Free Stat Points. You have obtained 75 Free Ability Points. Your Mana has increased by 3750% ]


    "Hm. Not bad. Maybe there''s a chance. A slight chance at sess. Level me up all the way to the Second League." He added.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ You have spent 28,300 units of Life Essence to Level up consecutively to a Master Profession ]


    [ You have leveled up... You have leveled up... You have leveled up... You have leveled up... You have leveled up... ] (¡Á2)<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    [ All your stats have increased by 30 point. You have obtained 150 Free Stat Points. You have obtained 150 Free Ability Points. Your Mana has increased by 7500% ]


    "Repeat. Level me up by Leagues. All the way to the peak of being a mythical warrior."


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ You have spent 352,500 units of Life Essence to Level up consecutively to an Epic Profession ]


    [ You have leveled up... You have leveled up... You have leveled up... You have leveled up... You have leveled up... ] (¡Á6)


    [ All your stats have increased by 90 point. You have obtained 450 Free Stat Points. You have obtained 450 Free Ability Points. Your Mana has increased by 22 500% ]


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ You have spent 1,818,000 units of Life Essence to Level up consecutively to a Saint Profession ]


    [ You have leveled up... You have leveled up... You have leveled up... You have leveled up... You have leveled up... ] (¡Á7)


    [ All your stats have increased by 105 point. You have obtained 525 Free Stat Points. You have obtained 525 Free Ability Points. Your Mana has increased by 26 250% ]


    Once Damien reached the limit of his strength, he immediately summoned his Temte to review the changes.


    "..."


    Even though he was prepared to wee disappointment itself.


    [ Name: Damien Gray ]


    [ Mana: ¨C (Nigh-Infinite) ]


    [ Epithet(3): First Blood(Grand), Dragon yer(Myth-1), King Maker(Myth-1) ]


    [ ss: Lvl 85 Absolute (0/67,000) ]


    [ Sub-ss: None ]


    [ Excess Life Essence: 15,990,089 ]


    [Alignment: Chaotic Neutral ]


    [ Stats: STR - 2 311,3 || AGI - 2 189,4 || END - 2 311,3 || INT - 2 311,3 || WIS - 2 311,3 || AFF - 2 189,4 (¨C) ]


    [ Stat Points: 1 600 || Ability Points: 1 201 ]


    [ ??? Abilities(1): False Enigma(1) ]


    [ Ultimate Abilities(1): Deus Ex Machina(1) ]


    [ Unique Abilities(6): Wisdom Eye(1), Plot Armor(1), Dragon Heart(1), Runic Encryption(1), Runic Dragonborne(1), Ascendent Foundation(1) ]


    [ Extra Abilities(3): Chosen Extra(1), Blind Luck(1), Dazzling Presence(1) ]


    [ Techniques(3): Mana Incorporation(Unique), Infernal Energy Cirction(Unique), Philosophical Mana-Kinesis(Unique) ]


    [ Equipment(7): Mask of Gray(Unique), Wings of Endless Ash(Unique), Undaine Bear Coat(Unique), Null de(Unique), Night Walker(Unique), Devil Gown(Unique), Void Keeper(Unique) ]


    He went through his Temte, and as expected, he was greatly disappointed. Without hisplete ss, there is no way his potential strength would increase.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ ...We have an offer for you ]


    "..."


    Damien kept quiet, and stared at the notification that floated before him. He wanted to respond, but at thr sane time, he felt like it would be no good at all.


    [ If you agree, we will unlock 10% of your Cryptic ss'' overall potential ]


    "Alright. What is it, I''m listening." He said, now intrigued all of sudden.


    [ ...We believe you are aware of the ploy that we have made pertaining to you and the Destiny Eatet? ]


    The Primordial Source said, and Damien easily nodded in agreement.


    "Mhm."


    [ Splendid. We would like you to forfeit the Destiny of the Destiny Eater, and the Destiny Spring it has fostered all these years. In exchange, we will give you and your friend a "Jade Diluted Syrum". What do you say? ]


    "...First, what''s that? Second, you are actually negotiating with me? A mortal?" Damienid out his responses.


    [ Is there perhaps a problem with respecting an anomaly like you? And the Jade Diluted Syrum is a nigh-outer grade resource, that can benefit anyone greatly ]


    [ It permanently cleanses one''s impurities, increasing their strength massively. The lucky ones could be cleansedpletely, and have all their statistics increased by a thousand ]


    "...I see. Why? What''s so important about the Destiny of the Destiny Eater, and the Destiny Springs?" He asked.


    [ We also have our ns and ideas. So far, we''ve respected you enough, and will also respect your response even now. So please think it carefully ]


    "Alright." Damien nodded.


    The current Primordial Source was still child like. The one he knew was arrogant and full of itself. The most pretentious bastards he had ever met.


    But then again, dealing with this one was fun in itself as well. And the term "anomaly" appeared once more. ''Seems like it''s an important aspect.''

 Chapter 99 Mana Cleansing

    ?Damien floated within the dark space of nothingness, and thought about the answer to The Primordial Source''s suggestion.


    But he then realized that overthinking the matter now was useless. Especially so, when he immediately jumped from Level 6, to Level 85 just like that.


    Multiple procedures were skipped. And to be at tip top condition of his current realm, and be at full strength for his realm of power, he needed to go through them.


    "..."


    He turned to Flint, and the boy was still in the process of creating his Domain. He then turned to their soroundings, and could say with confidence that, this ce was not their World/Realm anymore.


    It was a gap in space. More likely, the space or emptiness where ordinary universes and other constructs would be suspended.


    Hence the time here followed the world calender, meaning that the day he thought would take Flint to create his Domain, would be forty nine days in this ce.


    "Which is more than enough for me." He thought.


    He then sat down cross legged, and took a deep breathe to calm his breathe. Then his thoughts ran wild. ''Throughout the First League, one''s full focus is getting their body ustomed to Mana, and filling it up with Mana.''


    ''A rather simple process.'' He added to his thoughts. The process was not very hard, as anyone could do it, even those with the lowest potential can do so without much focus.


    ''And throughout the Second League, the process shifts to Mana Cleansing. A process that requires one to use Mana to forcefully cleanse their body of minor limitations.''


    ''A Master Profession focuses on their body cleansing, a Great Master focuses on their soul cleansing, and a Grand Master focuses on their spirit cleansing, their will.''


    His thoughts continued to churn, and as they did, his body followed. The nigh-infinite Mana within his Mana veins, that seemed so vibrant and studious, they felt like rivers of reality, moved with great vigour.


    All that Mana exploded out from his Mana veins, and into his cells, like floods washing over a coastal city. The cells were immediately swallowedpletely.


    All hundreds of trillions of cells Damien had within his body were gushed and filled with immense Mana. So much that, a single cell contained enough Manaparable to Epic Professions and/or weaker demigods.


    A single cell. And at his current level, he had hundreds of trillions of them. While it was obvious that his Mana had yet to reach its peak.


    And with that, his body underwent an explosive increase in power, density, value etc. But, his cells weren''t the only ones being nourished.


    With his cells being nourished first and foremost, his entire physiology soon followed.


    His body density exploded in weight. So much that not even the natural strength of powerful demigods could carry him if he so willed it.


    His blood became purified, and also denser. Even he had noparison for it at the moment. All his body had ascended itself, and if one included [Ascendant Foundation] at its base...


    Cr-rak~


    His skin bloomed with web-like cracks. And the cracks spread ever so slowly all over his body, like countless snakes slithering throughout the Sahara.


    "..."


    Yet Damien ignored it. Instead, he followed the next step, and cleansed his souls. He forced his cells to gush out all their Mana towards his brain and his heart.


    The two locations that could potentially be closer to both his soul and spirit.


    He then let the Mana gush into his heart, and pump it full. And the Mana was so abundant, that it forcefully shattered the physical aspect of his heart, and touch the spiritual aspect of it.


    His soul.


    Bang~


    A light explosion soon followed after, as Damien''s colorless soul, with a hint of gray at the center, suddenly brightened in color, like a light bulb being turned on.


    It''s color became gold, and then bright gold, almost illuminating his entire body as well.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    While the Mana that targeted his brain, did the same to it, shattering its physical aspect, and touching upon its spiritual aspect, his spirit/will.


    His will, that was only a wisp of gaseous cloud, received immense Mana, and abruptly grew out tentacle-like strings that spread out through the darkness around it.


    The darkness representing his consciousness. The strings stretched out within his consciousness, and touched upon memories of all kinds.


    Those clear became clearer, those blurry became clear, thosepletely dark and forgotten, be reinvigorated and remembered.


    His brains also became vibrant, and felt more at ease at controlling his body functions. Including the new functions of be a supernatural human being.


    His heart also began beating more vibrantly, pumping out purer and denser blood throughout his body, and filtering the previously impure ordinary human bloodline.


    "Whew... Ahh..." Damien let out a breathe breathe satisfaction as his body underwent Mana Cleansing on all three of his aspects, all the way to being supernaturally elevated.


    Peng~


    And as that was finalized, his cracked skin shatteredpletely, revealing a whole newyer of a much purer, and softer skinplexion.


    His slim muscr build was cut down a bit, making him seem slimmer, and a hint taller. His blonde hair suddenly fell off, and more illustrious golden blonde hair reced it.


    His sky blue eyes became even more star like, reflecting the majestic, true ste glow, of a genuine star of blue brilliance.


    "...Mhm." But all these changes, Damien thought less of them. They made him look more handsome than he previously was, true, yet that was all there was it.


    His form didn''t change much. Those who knew him, would still be able to tell it was him... just more brighter than he usually was, charm wise. And after a few more nces.


    "Not bad. Hm. Not bad at all." Heplimented himself, and checked how much time went by. "Only a weak to elevate myself to the bearing of a peak Grand Master? Also not bad."


    He thought, not aware of the fact that, as he was naturally inhuman as an ordinary human being, he would he even more so, with such bearing.


    No sane Grand Master would im to be at the same level of power as him... they wouldn''t even admit he was Grand Master himself. But Damien ignored that.


    He then continued. He was not done. There was also the path of a Third Leaguebatant that he had to follow, to truthfully be considered a mortal at the level of demigods.


    ''The next step would be to use my Mana to form a connection with my world, to gain the blessing of its naturalws/worldlyws. And it would be more probable for me to do this back within Gaea, but... why do I feel like doing it here would also benefit me?'' His thoughts continued.


    Indeed. Usually, one would normally be even stronger when they bond with a naturalndscape that resonates with them.


    Like Flint, it would be better for him were he were to bond with the naturalws found within volcanoes and the likes. That way, he would be a hint stronger than normal.


    In fact, Flint grew up within the forge, where the mes there were over 5 000¡ãC minimum. It was a perfect environment for a me type Demigod like himself.


    And as for him? He knew Lightning or Runes were his strongest element. But for some reason, even a ce of no elements like this empty void, resonated with him.


    ''No use overthinking it. Anyway, I can always resonate with the territory of the Thunder Eagles anytime when I''m strong enough. For now... let''s resonate with the Void, and hopefully, gain enough power.'' He finalized his thoughts, and regted his breathe once more.


    While his body was still ascending in ranks to match his realm of power, he fluently controlled his Mana to converge before him, and formed an incorporeal version of himself.


    Then he infused a portion of his will and soul into it, and sent it floating through the endless void. ''The highest chance of resonating with an aspect of Reality, is through the soul. Hopefully, a soul clone works as well.'' He thought.


    The process would also he faster, since he was basically swimming within emptiness. He furthered his thoughts.


    Then the soul clone was sent deeper into the void by itself. Throughout the process, it lost its senses of time, and justprehended its soroundings with great focus.


    ''What is the Void?'' It thought, and an answer immediately came through from the Void itself, as if it was also trying to express more of itself to him. ''An antithesis of Creation? But then, what is creation? And if it''s that important, why is it so dormant?''


    The soul clone thought, trying to learn more about the Void. And the Void wasn''t stingy with its responses. ''Is it? The Void has its own hierarchy as well? And it depends on the level of power of the being, as to what Void they canprehend?''

 Chapter 100 Space Exploration

    ?''Wait... So you''re saying a mortal''sprehension of the Void, will be different to what a demigod considered what a Void was?'' It asked.


    ''No? It doesn''t follow the aspect of Leagues, but Existential difference? So a god''s Void, is very much different to a mortal and a demigod''s Void? Is that it?''


    ''I see... So what Void am Iprehending now? What Void are you?''


    ''The god''s Void? I see?''


    The Void trembled at his response, giving him more information. ''...Alright. So I''m nowprehending you as a Universal Law? The Void can also be a Universal Law and a much powerful Law at the same time?''


    ''Truly amazing... So the Void can be all epassing? It can be there for everyone, regardless of how strong or weak they are? Be it human, or god, or anything beyond.''


    The Void trembled even greater to hisprehension. Damien nodded, and as he did, he felt the soul clone slowly break down into invisible particles.


    ''Hm?'' It responded in shock, but then the Void calmed him down, and gave him more information. ''Ah... You are genuinely amazing. So the Void isn''t just all epassing, it is also nothing?''


    ''And nothing stems from nothingness, which is present throughout all of Reality and beyond. Throughout the hearts of men, and the consciousness of gods. And throughout the existence of those beyond.''


    ''That is... Void...''


    The soul clonepletely broke down into nothingness, disappearing into the Void, and bing a part of it. But Damien''s voice lingered throughout the area.


    "So this... is what the Void is?" At the same time, he opened his eyes, which had abination of grey and blue, hovering around dull silver, yet seemingly bottomless.


    At the same time, when he woke up from his meditation, The Primordial Source alerted him of an impossible action done.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ Congrattions!! You''ve done the absolute impossible!! Mortals naturally have no sense of the Laws, and even most demigods have notprehended a Law beforeplete godhood. Such an action is impossible for them, let alone for a mortal ]


    [ But today, you''ve done an impossible feat, andprehended the all powerful Universal Law of the Void. You haveprehended one of the few Fundamental Universal Laws of Reality ]


    [ Due to your Cryptic ss, and perfect Affinity to the Void, you''ve obtained the "Void Embodiment" Unique Ability ]


    [ You have obtained basic (25%) natural resistance to all elements. The higher yourprehension of the Void Universal Law, the higher your resistance to all Universal Laws. Current resistance: 1% ]


    [ The Wings of Endless Ash have resonated with you, and have given you theplete Affinity towards Ashes. It has also given you the chance toprehend its Universal Law of Ashes, and be its true Master ]


    [ If the illusory Universal Law of Ash is obtained, and infused into it, there is a high chance of evolution, if both Universal Laws are used to nourish it for days or month or even years. The time might be long, but there chance exists ]


    "..."


    Damien was presented with such information, and he did not waste it. He immediately closed his eyes, and chose toprehend the Universal Law of Ashes.


    He already had experiences with perfectlyprehended Universal Laws from his previous timeline, let alone their initial state. Plus, he now hadplete Affinity to it.


    Unfortunately for a certain someone, just when Damien went back toprehending another Universal Law, they just stood by frozen in stupor, with their outstretched hand.


    "..."


    Flint then slowly pulled it back, silent and awkward. He had been waiting for quite a while, and thought that Damien would wake up soon enough.


    And he did, indeed wake up. But he went back to ''sleep'' right after. He felt like it would take a long time before he woke up, and wanted someone to talk to badly.


    "...I guess, I got plenty of free time, huh?" He thought, stretching his senses throughout the Void they were in.


    Yet even his senses of a lesser god failed to detect anything within range, which was quite sad. Sad for him, for he was genuinely bored out of his wits.


    "Is there really nothing but emptiness around here? Damn. This is like a prison of sorts. And I feel like staying here for longer periods of time is not safe." He thought to himself.


    Yet here he stood,pletely fine. Even a mortal like Damien waspletely fine as well. "I guess I''m over exaggerating the situation due to boredom."


    He then created a clone of mes, and sent it flying through the Void at his fastest speed. The clone was tens of times faster than light, as it''s strength was only 1% of his overall stats.


    Afterwards, he immediately disappeared and went into his Domain. "Since there is nothing for me to do, why not manage my Domain?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Such thoughts were logical.


    He then appeared within and of mes everywhere. The sky waspletely red, and filled up with orange and golden clouds.


    The mountains and earth were also red tinted, the oceans wereva, and the trees had grey barks and purple leaves.


    Basically, this Domaim was like an inversed Gaea. Everything green was purple, almost everything that was wood was gray, everything liquid wasva, everything blue was red.


    This was his Domain, the abode of the god of nemesis fire himself, the Nemesis Hell.


    "...Feels bleak and lonely though. Damn, reflects my current emotional state." He thought, watching the vastnd that was further increased when he created it.


    It was now a thousand times the size and area of earth. But because of its vast size, and no appearance of any living beings, it gave out feelings of loneliness.


    And thus, the poor young god floated through his vast Domain of solitude, and felt lonely himself. Meanwhile, his clone flew through space at great speed.


    "..."


    It silently flew through the void at ten times the speed of light, and made do to keep the same pace four quite the long run.


    And beknowest to it, a whole 24 hours flew by, and the distance it covered was immeasurable to any mortal mind. ''Sometimes, its nice to have Infinite reserves. Well no, I guess, everytime?''


    It thought, as from a far distance, it could see a gathering of various colored lights, that brightened up quite a distance of the Void.


    The lights range from different spectrum of intensity, and different colors, each color also having various version with various intensity.


    It was quite beautiful to the highest degree. Like a bubble made up of rainbow colored glitter, inside out, floating within an endless sea of darkness.


    "...Beautiful." The clone thought, increasing its speed once more and flying straight towards the bubble of exotic wonder.


    A minute or so of flight, the clone arrived near the gathering of lights. And now that he was close, he came to realize that even the smallest light was something of immeasurable size.


    "Woah. What''s this... Seems powerful." It thought, slowly entering into the sphere of influence of the construct, the bubble.


    Once in, it weirdly felt a heavy load fall off his shoulders. A feeling simr to getting out of the pool, and back on the surface.


    Niether ufortable, nor bothersome. But it still felt better with it off his shoulders.


    That was not all. He also felt, emotionally wise, feelings he never experienced before. What he was seeing, was a spiral made up of so much green light, it felt dense and material.


    Like a mystical whirlpool within a sea of darkness. That was not all, not too far from it, he saw another whirlpool of red light, another one of blue light, and more of royal green light.


    Various numbers of them. And in some cases, there were nests of them, bundled up together, each of various colors. Everything was just too amazing.


    "What are these...? So beautiful... So refreshing..." He subconsciously thought.


    He then sent his will throughout the one he met, and his senses scoured through it all. In a few minutes, he was done going through the whole spiral of light, twirling magnificently within the darkness.


    "...Goddamn, that''s even more beautiful..." And such a response escaped his mouth.


    Within the spiral of green light before him, he saw multiple things. Gigantic spheres of darkness with a connected ring to their bodies, pulling in their soroundings, and devouring them.


    Even if it felt like it had no force against that thing. Like it would also also devoured, were it were to go there.


    And there were also various colored smaller spheres, that seemed to burn in various colors of mes. Yet none being more powerful than his own mes.


    There were also some of them, being sorounded by other spheres, some made up of rocks, water, nts, air and even clouds. All of them rotating around the ming spheres, which were alsorger than them.


    And many more wonderful constructs could he seen. All presented to him.


    Unfortunately, once more, no lifeforms were found within all of them. All hundreds of billions of spheres, no life could be felt within them.

 Chapter 101 Planetary Crisis

    ?"...A bummer." He thought. But there were also hundreds of billions of various spirals around him. The clone doubted that within them all, not one carried hints of life.


    And there... began it''s chase for someone to talk to. A third of a day went by, and by the 2 443 899th spiral of light that the clone came across, it finally found hints of life.


    "Oho!! Lifeforms atst. Lifeforms!! And not just one of them, but there are... let me see... uh, er, billions of them... Hahaha, finally, finally, Haha." The crazed clone of a god burst off at full speed towards the sky blue spiral of light.


    It flew through the space, and tore through the spiral of light, everything around it being erged the more it went deeper and deeper into it.


    The burnings spheres that had their own systems were erged first. From afar, they also resembled a convergence of various light, ten at least, and hundreds at most, changing shape and form as they moved.


    And the one he was flying towards, was more like a quad helical DNA structure. Four spheres, one of rock, one of water, one of air and one of fire, were all circting around a muchrger sphere of darkness and light.


    The sphere of darkness and light was at the center, and was mostly made out of light, with multiple rings of darkness around it.


    And the closest one circting next to it was circting around it the fastest. The second was made up of rocks, circting half as fast as the first one.


    The third was the one of air, circting four times as slow as the second, and thest one was of water, circting eight times as slow as the third one.


    Thus creating a unique quad helical structure. "This is confusing... but not much focus for now..." The clone thought, flying towards the second sphere as fast as it could.


    "Finally. Some entertainment. I wonder what race I''ll be meeting. And whether they are good people or not." It thought, flying towards the rocky sphere.


    ~~~~~


    Within a random lucky.


    One full of life and joy.


    A that was once lucky amongst countless other nts and stars, as it had life in it. And these lifeforms, were proud Silex, a race of great wonder and intelligence.


    They were directly born from the core of their world, and had great powers within their grasp. The strangest of them were powerful Epics and the likes.


    But as the years went by, they were weared out and lost their connection with the world, and were drained of their power.


    They became weaker and weaker, and at some point, their strongest was barely a Master. And these were those that trained their whole lives, and cultivated day in, day out.


    But that did not cut off their path of life. They were naturally intelligent creatures, and through the exploration of their creator''s body, they obtained rare resources and the likes.


    Yearster, to the present time, they now had powerful technology in their grasps. And were even close to initiating the space exploration era of their race.


    Unfortunately, as they saw the current situation, they might not leave past the next few minute of their lives.


    BEEEEEP~


    BEEEEEP~


    BEEEEEP~


    rms rang out wild throughout the headquarters of multiple nations. Their top brass military members were running around in jambles, as phone calls andmands were sang around.


    "What''s the emergency?!" A Silex roared out in anger. It''s body was made up of silicon, and shone a bright grey color as it hurriedly charged into the room.


    His physique was powerful, and he stood at three meters tall. He wore neatly sewed clothes, no less professionally made than those of the modern era.


    "S¨CSir, there, there is a... there is a fast approaching meteoring at us, sir!!" One of the numerous Silex under him said, nervous to the bone.


    "..."


    The Silexmander remained shocked in silence. The high technological room he was in, that could rival the control room of gctic warships, was full of panic and chaos.


    The loudest sounds were of the rms singing doomsday tunes to their ears, and the frequent rushed melody of fingers dancing on keyboards and holographic interfaces.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "S¨Csir, sir.." The officer tried to call out to him once more, and themander pushed him aside in silence.


    He then roared, "LISTEN UP YOU LOT!! I DONT CARE WHAT YOU DO, BUT WHATEVER IT IS, YOU MUST MAKE SURE THAT THING NEVER TOUCHES THE SURFACE. AM I CLEAR?!"


    His voice boomed throughout the room, like Thunder falling from the skies. And his subordinates all became stern as they responded with vigour.


    "SIR, YES SIR!!"


    The response almost shook the entire room, almost. But what truly shook the room, hell the whole nation, was a thunderous "BOOM!!" that shattered the very sound barrier.


    Another city had beat them to it, and released a hypercharged nuclear cannon. And not only them, more boomerous sounds rang out, showing how many nations saw this meteor as a threat.


    "...Release our own nuclear cannon. Charged it up to full power, and let it loose." Themanderid out hismand, bing the 27th nation to immediately respond.


    And that was not even a fifth of the total number of nations that responded to this attack. Almost the whole of four billion Silex felt threatened and responded in nature.


    Meanwhile, Flint''s clone that flew towards the at quite the rxed pace, covered in ste mes, thinking about how it was going to introduce itself, saw multiple giant metallic arrows flying towards it.


    "...Am I being perceived as a threat? Of course I am." It thought, counting up to a total of 157 giant metallic arrows flying at him at sonic speed.


    "It''ll take a while for them to reach here, so maybe I should meet them halfway..? Nah, I don''t feel much threat from this, so I''ll let it hit me as a sign of peace... a good idea, right?" It thought to itself.


    And just like that, Flint''s clone took, head on, the attack from over a hundred hypercharged nuclear bombs. Ones so powerfulpared to the modern human''s own atomic bomb.


    The development of the Silex had almost, by 100%, spread out of their sphere of influence, their Silexia. And anytime, they could begin space exploration.


    The also had knowledge far greater than modern humanity''s knowledge about space. Their hypercharged nuclear canons hadws that could be applied within the process of a supernova.


    Of course, they were not as powerful, not even close, to a real supernova. But one could still wipe out an entire nation from the surface of the earth.


    And Flint''s clone took over hundreds of them head on. ''Hopefully it won''t hurt as much as it won''t kill me.'' It thought amidst the light of explosion.


    The nuclear canons struck it, outside the influence of Silexia, creating a powerful explosion of light that turned night to day.


    Yet no sound of explosion was heard whatsoever. All the Silexians saw, was light so intense, it rivaled that from their sun, spreading out within space.


    "Did we... take it down?" Themander from before asked no one in particr, breathes held in anticipation.


    But at this moment, their surveince systems finally kicked in, and though blurry, a hazy humanoid figure could be seen within theet of mes.


    "S©\Sir, you might... you might want to see this..." A Silex at the front deck said, and themander silently walked over. ''Don''t tell me it didn''t work at all?'' He thought.


    But when he got there, and could also slightly decipher the hazy figure, and he was lost for words. "...An alien?" He presumed, not so sure of his own words.


    "I, I believe so, sir." The Silexian responded, also not much sure of its own words as well.


    "Oh my god... it''s, it''s still alive..." Another Silexian said, catching the attention of both Silexians from before.


    The both of them went up to the surveince cameras of the current standard time. And there, when the light cleared out, a humanoid figure of a young man could be seen.


    "...An alien." Themander repeated, more certain about his im now. At the same time, hemanded for another nuclear canon to be packed up.


    Almost all nations also responded the same. Since they already targeted the being, they just had to see it through to the end.


    As for how they were unable to catch the clone''s appearance at first, was because even as advanced as they were, they could still not instantly capture something traveling at ten times the speed of light.


    They only got a quick snap due to it reducing its speed when it thought. Meanwhile, the clone underwent the explosion without so much as a scratch on its body.


    "So it truly didn''t hurt as I expected." It then nodded, transforming into a st of mes that immediately entered the atmosphere of Silexia.

 Chapter 102 Get A Hobby

    ?It''s speed was still quite fast, and appeared within cloud level in a sh, pausing to look down and appreciate the natural beauty of this.


    "This ce is not half bad. But its also not as beautiful as our home." It thought, sensing millions of people within the the nation it was hovering above.


    From its perspective, everything was made out of metal. The buildings, the carriages (cars), and even the streets were made out of metal.


    Such a perspective was a first for Flint, who grew up within the woods and within Falsar. So high leveled technology was not something he was much aware of.


    "...I take that back. This ce is really beautiful. It''s amazingly fresh and new." The clone thought, instantly appearing within the streets of one of the many cities of this nation.


    The sorounding Silex were first shocked at the appearance of the clone. But momentster, they ignored its presence and went about their daily lives.


    To them, technology could replicate everything that urred. The massive nket of light that just appeared, and the strange appearance of a humanoid being made out of mes.


    Their technology could replicate it all, and hence they let it slide. But the higher ups of this city were facing an unbelievable dilemma at this moment.


    "Co©\Commander... what, what must we do?" A Silex asked themander from before, who had ck lines umting on his aged face.


    "..."


    No response came from him. He knew that no matter what he did, the nations that could pinpoint that Flint''s clone was here, would attack without remorse.


    They would not mind sacrificing tens of millions of lives, just for their own safety. Especially those that were originally rival or enemy nations of their own.


    "Haaa... We are dead." He thought, and his subordinates froze in shock and fear.


    They knew the obvious path, but hoped that theirmander had different ns. Unfortunately, that was not the case. They were going to die.


    But would Flint''s clone allow that? Was it ready to face the brutal nature of a race that was not one of his own, or of a human like Damien?


    Was it ready to meet a race exposed to their desires, and allowing them to control them? A race far more treacherous than the Khloris Troll race. Was it?


    Flint himself, the original body, would not know of that as of yet, because right now, Damien opened his eyes once more, a powerful sea of grey spreading around him.


    He then stood up, and unfurled his wings, that seemed more physically connected to his body than before. They were like an angel''s wings, but every feather was made out of silver metal.


    After unfurling them, they greedily swallowed the 1%prehension of the Universal Law of Ashes, increasing the brilliance and lustor on them.


    A momentter, they were retracted, and absorbed into his flesh. The artifact was now physically bonded with him, and was using his blood and immense Mana to baptize itself.


    "You''re finally awake. I''ve been waiting for ages." Flint flew towards Damien and said. But Damien ignored him and his antiques.


    It''s only been two months. And in space, it''s barely observable how many days go by. Plus, he was not yet done. "Give me a few more days. I''ll tend to you."


    He said, taking out a set of full body armor, that waspletely pitch ck, as if forged at the bottomless pits of the Abyss.


    It was the Death God''s Armament, a Godly grade treasure. Usually, no mortal could bear the weight of equipping a Godly grade treasure.


    It came with severe side effects. But Damien believed in himself. He believed that his [Ascendant Foundation] Unique Ability, that was kept active at all times, gave him a unique physiology of his own.


    Gods were not the only ones Unique. Dragons, angels, demons, devils and other well known races have variations that are considered at the level of gods.


    An example would be battle angels, or rare attributed dragons like time dragons and space dragons. So whose to say humans can''t have their own godly variation.


    ''I''ll be the first. And once I''m done, I''ll create a path of ascension for humans past the Saint Profession.'' He thought, ardoning the Godly artifact.


    But all that aside, the reason he wore it, was to increase his Affinity towards Death. At the same time, he was increasing his Affinity to Concealment through the Devil''s Gown.


    When he was done, which of course took more of their time, Damien put away the Death God''s Armament. "Alright. I''m done. What did you need?"


    "...Nothing. I got it all sorted." Flint replied, albeit listlessly. "...Alright then. Shall we go back now?"


    "Thought you''d never ask." Flint bloomed once more, and just like that, Damien took out a scroll of teleportation, and activated it. He was now down to two left.


    Flint held onto him, and they disappeared from the void, and back to the passage way of thebyrinth/dungeon.


    The void was then left lifeless once more. Especially so, when someonepatible with it left just like that.


    Meanwhile, back at the passage way, The Primordial Source appeared just as the duo appeared as well.


    [ Have you thought it through, anomaly? ]<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    It asked, and Damirn nodded. "Hm. I''m not doing it." And heid out his response, in, nk and apathetic as always.


    [ The response was unexpected. Is our reward not worth it, anomaly? ]


    "Yes. But more importantly, I''m not strong enough." Damien said, then turned to Flint and added. "Alright, let''s go. We''ll be flying back home now."


    "Now?" Flint paused in surprise. "Wait wait wait, we are not going to adventure some more? We won''t go deeper into this caravan or whatever it is? No? Seriously, no?"


    "No." Damien said. At the same time, he left, facing the entrance of the cave.


    [ Anomaly, are really sure of your response? The Fate of humanity will deteriorate at this rate ]


    "I wonder why you care. Aren''t you supposed to be an entity beyond reason and emotions? Act like it then." Damien said, not giving it much respect.


    [ ...You seem awfully confident of us not obliterating you right now. Such disrespect would not be tolerated ]


    "Then do it. Don''t be all talk."


    [ ... ]


    "..."


    Even Flint was left speechless at this point. ''Things are getting spicy already. But what got sir Damien in such a mood?'' He thought.


    After a few minutes of walking, the duo arrived at the entrance and Damien unfurled his Wings of Endless Ash, and took off.


    Flint''s feet erupted with mes, kicking him off the ground. And just like that, the both of them flew at light speed back towards Humanity''s settlement.


    Or the intended direction.


    [ Anomaly... ]


    "It''s Damien. If you can''t spell it out, then go to sleep or find a better hobby." Damien said, cutting off The Primordial Source once more.


    As for why he was so daring? He knew from experience that The Primordial Source was a harmless entity. More like a naughty child than anything.


    And most importantly, it was beyond emotions of those below it. Only the words of an entity at its level or above it, could ruffle it up.


    Anything else, would be simr to a grown up man, feeling threatened by a newborn baby. All outer beings were almost like that. Almost.


    [ You are not worthy of me calling you by your name, Anomaly ]


    "Then so be it, Primordial." He said.


    And just like that, silence ensured between all three entities, as Damien and Flint flew back home. With their reserves of energy, they could keep this up for days on end.


    The months spent within the Void, were also two days here, hence Damien was left with four days before his deadline of going back to Juliette was over.


    They flew throughout the endless skies of Gaea, and that continued for two whole days, where Flint felt like more bored than he was in the Void.


    ''I feel like we are almost there, yet far from there at the same time.'' He thought, wallowing within his own internal despair.


    Meanwhile, Damien felt his Mana explosively increase once more. Within the Void, it had doubled twice, thanks to his bond with the Mana Heart. And again the past two days.


    And now, it exploded by five times. It was moving closer to bing truly infinite, even to someone like him, who knew that the infinity of mortals, was only finite for gods.


    Hence with that knowledge, something infinite to him, would also be infinite to gods. Unfortunately, reaching that number would be nigh impossible.


    Even Flint didn''t reach that number as well. "We are almost there. Just a couple of hours... and you''ll be meeting your fiancee."


    "..."


    Flint felt the colors on his face, alongside his will of resistance, drain themselves like water going down the sink hole. ''Oh shit... I had almost forgotten about that.''


    ''Man... Fin will nag me to heaven. But her aside, damn man, Fou would swallow me to hell.'' And his thoughts immediately began piling up with negativity.


    While Damien, was wondering what it was that Juliette had been up to these recent days.

 Chapter 103 Apex Foundation

    ?Within a domain of multiple converging elements, raging winds, oppressive tsunamis, destructive mes, and cataclysmic boulders.


    They raged and flew around in great intensity, forming ascendent storms of varying magnitudes and colors.


    And when all the elemental disasters and terrifying storms collided, they eliminated each other, erasing everything around them to nothingness.


    The soroundings were decimated to silence, and reduced to ck darkness. And within the center of the created void, a beauty stood, sorounded by multiple elements.


    She stood naked, with the elements covering her body protectively.


    "...I am done. Unfortunately, I only had four hours for this one, and I didn''t have much Affinity with it." The girl thought, as the elements around her dispersed.


    Juliette Silver.


    The woman presented was Juliette Silver, one with enhanced beauty and charm. She was even more beautoful than the angel they had previously fought.


    [ You have finalized the training of four Elemental Affinities, and also obtained a glimpse to the Null Affinity, all in just forty hours straight ]


    [ There are zero hours remaining ]


    [Congrattions on finalizing your training, and obtaining Ascendent Rewards ]


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ You have forged an Apex Foundation for yourself. Amongst your race, you''ve reached an ascandent stage in all aspects, to the point of being uniquepared to your roots ]


    [ The path of Humanity has been opened. All humans will obtain higher exposure to all the Elemental Affinities. Their Mana levels will exponentially increase as well. Their Destiny has exploded out ]


    "Oh..." Juliette marveled at the information given to her. She was surprised how her seeding, meant humanity seeding.


    But she had no qualms. At least, she was helping Damien progress one of his many goals.


    "And that aside, I have to get out of here. It''s been almost two days." She thought, watching as the darkness around her tore itself apart.


    Melting off like ice submerged in boiling water. And from it, a white room was presented to her, with her figure sitting criss legged, while beingpletely clothed.


    Juliette sighed in relief, and appraised her final form after the whole training. Her skin was smoother, and more pleasing to the eyes.


    Her hair became jet ck, yet seemed to reflect the glow of the room as well. So were her dark eyes, that seemed like an endless darkness, full of stars.


    And most importantly, there were four small droplets on her forehead, one red, one blue, one green and one brown. They were all inversed, and had their tails meet below them.


    "Hm... I seem more like a cryptic entity from the past... or a god... even though I''m not sure what a god is supposed to look like." She thought, pleased about her new looks.


    "I wonder how Damien would react to this? Would he finally blush at my sight?" A smile crept up on her face, lighting up her face, and making her seem like the center of the world.


    Yet she was unaware of that.


    At the same time, when she was enjoying the vivid image of Damien in her thoughts, a chorus of party tricks rang out, spreading out and disrupting her focus.


    "..."


    Juliette was forced out of her thoughts, and turned to the pixie prince in exasperation.


    "Ah? You''re still alive?" The pixie prince said, it''s words being words that rubbed Juliette wrongly. "What do you mean by that, you dwarf star?"


    "Hehe, I am a star, but not a dwarf." Itughed, and before Juliette could add more insults, it added, "Hehe, I take that back. Let me rephrase myself."


    "You better..." She said, sighing to herself. Unfortunately, Damien had warned her not to go against these little guys.


    But after experiencing that hellish training, she knew that somethings just had to be done. Such as insulting these little prideful pricks.


    The pixie prince nced at her, and cleared its throat. "Ahem... Why are you still alive?" And it said to her, catching her so off guard, she was left bbergasted.


    "...Excuse me?"


    "Why are you still al¨C"


    "I heard you the first time. Don''t repeat yourself." Juliette said in exasperated anger, her words cutting off its own. Then she added, anger still seeping within her tone.


    "So, care to exin to me what you mean by that, your highness?"


    "Ah? Well... I thought you''d honestly die from Mana intion about a day ago. But here you are, still alive. And no where near dying. I''m wondering why." It said.


    "...Are you serious right now?"


    "Yes. Trekking through the Realms of power is hard, very hard. Which is why the Mana for every Realm is leagues apart, and quite vast." The pixie prince said, and Juliette listened.


    She knew that the pixies were quite knowledgeable creatures.


    "Even the strongest of mortals, a Grand Master, has Mana within the hundreds of thousands. Imagine the power they hold... They could burn, destroy or even reconstruct entire continents with their Mana alone."


    "Let alone the strongest of demigods, who can birth entire stars were their entire Mana reserves exposed to the Void. And gods? Let''s not even touch upon them yet."


    "But then... there''s you. An Apprentice, with Mana so dense, it could even rival the divine power of even powerful gods standing above the universe. Basically... you''re full of something that''s not supposed to be in you... and that''s not a baby."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "..."


    Juliette felt lost for words. Her anger dissipated, and she also ignored thest joke that the prince added to its statement.


    But the pixie was not done yet. "Not only did you shatter one understood aspect of Reality, you also obtained four Affinities, while still being an Apprentice... breaking off another aspect."


    "Yeah, I figured about that one. Then if that was the case, then why did you send me here?" Juliette asked, a bit perplexed and vexed.


    "...No reason. If you died, then we would have revived you. No need to thank us, you''re wee." It said, almost shattering her strings of sanity.


    "...Alright. What else do you have to say, your highness."


    "Oh? You broke two understood aspects of Reality, and I''m wondering why that is possible." It said, not feeling her wrath within her tone.


    Juliette calmed herself down, and also thought about it. Yes, why. Why was she able to hold so much Mana within herself?


    One, it could be because of her Affinity with Mana. She knew about this during the trials she went with Damien, and he also affirmed that she had superior attainments in Mana as well.


    Or two, it could be rted to Damien. Since her total reserves of Mana were connected to those of Damien''s, then that meant that their Mana veins had the same level of purity.


    Or three, she had no idea as well.


    "Could be because of Damien, uh, my husband." She said, and the pixie prince found her words to make sense.


    "Hm. An anomaly is a different matter altogether. Ah, you''re an irregr, so I guess it makes sense too?" It said, and Juliette opted to just ignore it.


    Instead, she opened up her Temte, and made a review of the changes that urred.


    [ Name: Juliette Silver ]


    [ Mana: ¨C (Nigh-Infinite) ]


    [ Epithet(3): First Blood(Grand), Grand Pioneer of Mana(Myth-1), Dragon yer(Myth-1) ]


    [ ss: Lvl 6 ssless (0/90) ]


    [ Sub-ss: None ]


    [ Excess Life Essence: 18,195,389 units ]


    [Alignment: Chaotic Neutral ]


    [ Stats: STR - 100,0 || AGI - 100,0 || END - 100,0 || WIS - 3 000,0 || INT - 3 000,0 || AFF - 300,0 ]


    [ Stat Points: 0 || Ability Points: 1 ]


    [Ultimate Abilities(1): Spirit Source(1) ]


    [ Unique Abilities(6): Spirit Zone(1), Spirit Medium(1), Mystic Magic(1), Mana Magic(1), Spirit Magic(1) Elemental Magic(1) ]


    [ Extra Abilities(4): Self-Hypnosis(1), Dark Vision(1), Underwater Breathing(1), Float(1) ]


    [ Techniques(1): Mana Incorporation(Unique) ]


    [ Natural Resistance(3): <Fire: 50%> <Water: 50%> <Wind: 50%> <Earth: 50%> ]


    [ Spells(23): Spell Creation(2nd), Rune Casting(2nd), Symbol Inscription(2nd), Magic Maniption(2nd), Personal Magic: Mana(2nd), Mana Control(2nd), Mana Enhancement(2nd), Mana Construction(2nd), Mana Aura(2nd), Mana Creation(2nd), Spirit Summon(2nd), Spirit Grooming(2nd), Spirit Communication(2nd), Spirit Empowerment(2nd), Spirit Fusion(2nd), Fire Ball(2nd), Fire st(2nd), Bubble Prison(2nd), Water Dragon(2nd), Haste(2nd), Hurricane Burst(2nd), Mountain Wall(2nd), Meteorite(2nd) ]


    [ Equipment(0): None ]


    [ Resources(0): None ]


    She went through everything, and saw two major changes. Her Mana, and her Stats. "It seems like you''re right. I have quite the hefty amount of Mana in me."


    "And my Stats seem to have increased by ten times statistically. I wonder how powerful I am now." She thought to herself.


    At the same time, something strange, something she never expected to ur, urred at this very moment.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ Congrattions on forging a path towards bing the very Derivative of Mana ]


    [ You have obtained Mana so high, it eclipses your Existential Level greatly. You have thus awakened 10% of your ss, "Mana Derivator" ]


    "...huh?"


    "Oh?"


    Both entities responded in shock, as one never expected this to happen, and the other was just tantly intrigued at the ever increasing drama sorounding the former.


    Yet unfortunately for her, this was just the beginning of her day. More wonders were stille for her.

 Chapter 104 Flawless Mana Conversion

    ?[ Mana Derivator (CRYPTIC) ]


    [ Introduction: The Providence of one who will be the highest entity throughout Creation... Information Unavable ]


    [ Potential: Unrivaled Potential that stretches to cover the whole of Creation, and absolutely transcend all Restrictions, Rules and Mandates of Existence and stand beyond even Creation itself... Information Unavable ]


    [ ss Bonuses: +3 SP to STR, AGI, END, INT, WIS and AFF every level up, +15 Free SP every level up, +15 AP every level up, +1000% Life Essence required to Level up, +750% to Mana every level up ]


    [ ss Skills: "wless Mana Conversion" ]


    [ Comment: A ss of sheer impossibility... ]


    Juliette read through the obscure definition of her ss, and was amazed at its effects.


    Just the ss Bonuses alone, made her feel like she would soon be overpowered just by leveling up a bit more. But that was not what really caught her attention.


    "wless Mana Conversion. Aha, now that''s an amazing ability." The pixie prince said, being able to see through her Temte without her giving it permission.


    "..."


    Juliette felt lost for words. Even Damien couldn''t see through her Temte without her permission. This showed how powerful these little critters were.


    "Oho... It allows you to be able to convert Mana into an other Essence of your choice. It''s just like the Trait of the Primordial Tyrant herself. But unfortunately, you can only convert your Mana to any low leveled Essence."


    "You should rank up." It said, exposing the uses of the ss Ability without much shame.


    "..."


    Juliette felt even more speechless, but had nothing to say. Just as the little critter said, her Ability could help her convert her Mana into essence of any Realm of power twelve levels above her.


    So far, she was an Apprentice, and had no idea what the Realm twelve levels above her was. Maybe it was someone capable of shattering the world?


    "Not even close." The pixie prince said, and added. "Its only just a noble god, with a Universal Law capable of stretching beyond the universe."


    "...And you consider that ''just a noble god''?" Juliette sighed, feeling her anger dissipate. How powerful were these little guys?


    From Damien''s previous words, they could adapt ording to the peak of their world. And since this one was the highest level of royalty, did it stand beyond the world?


    "Do I? Hehe hehehe..." The pixie prince chuckled to itself, feeling ttered by Juliette''s thoughts.


    "I don''t have much privacy here, do I?" She asked rhetorically in defeat. But the pixie prince still responded. "You do. Just that sometimes, your mind is interesting."


    "...What do you mean?"


    "For example, when you imagine you and your husband raising the two spirits together. It shows that you''re really heart broken at your loss." It exined, it''s eyes down on her stomach.


    "..."


    "Oh, and also when you imagine vivid scenes of you two cuddling together naked. But I wonder why you''re cuddling so roughly? Is that why¨C"


    ...!!!


    "STOOOOOP!! MY GOD, YOU GUYS CAN SEE ALL THAT?!" Juliette was startled like a frightened kitten, and even subconsciously raised her tone.


    Her face waspletely shaded pink in embarrassment, as she subconsciously thought back to all her fantasies.


    "Ah... there it is again." The pixie prince said, and Juliette waved her hand to swat it away. "Stop it already!! Waaaa... you guys are perverts."


    "...Are we?" It asked, but didn''t didn''t stsy much on it. It seemed used at being told that. "By the way, your husband brought guests for you."


    "My husband is back?" Juliette asked, erasing away all the embarrassment and recing it with joy. Even her way of calling Damien her husband became fluent.


    "No. But he sent people to you."


    "Oh..." Her joy copsed into nothingness, and she found herself asking in disinterest. "...How many did he send."


    "Not many. Just a race of demigods."


    "A race of what?"


    "Demigods."


    "I heard you silly, I was just surprised. And where the hell did he get an entire race of demigods?" Juliette felt like Damien''s journey was amazing, and wished to have gone with him.


    "There are slightly over ten thousand of them. And two to three gods amongst them." It further exined.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "...I was better off not knowing that. Haiy, anyway, what does he want me to do with them? And how long have they been here?" She asked.


    "How would I know? They are here looking fordy Juliette." The pixie prince said, "And they have been here for a day or so. Quite the long time if you ask me,dy Juliette."


    "Stop it." Juliette sighed for the nth time today, and stood up. "Okay then, I''ll meet up with these... demigods that Damien brought for me. I wonder what they want."


    "And can I take them on? Or should I promote myself now?" She thought, whilst leaving the training ground.


    And just as she did so, a notification from her second wish trial appeared, alerting her of the rewards that she obtained from this endeavor.


    A Mythical ranked Epithet, "Elemental Progeny". It further increased her innate natural resistance to all elements by 15%.


    This included rare elements like wood, lightning, metal and the likes. But since she already had 50% natural resistance to fire, water, wind and earth, they increased to 65%.


    And so far, this also included various mutations of the mentioned elements. Such as Divine Fire, Nemesis Fire, Demonic Fire, and its other versions.


    "Don''t get over your head. Only the 50% of the first four elements are like that, as they are true natural resistance. But the other percentages added, only include elements of lesser god level and below." The pixie prince said, correcting her understanding.


    "Oh, I see now." Juliette nodded, changing her thoughtspletely.


    "But that can change if you obtain Affinities for those elements." It added.


    "So obtaining an Affinity bestows you 50% natural resistance to that element?" She verified ording to her understanding.


    "Ah, no." It said, then added, "Only if you do something as impossible as obtaining an Affinity at your level. And only if you max it out."


    "But don''t try it. You don''t have any hope with the other elements anyway." It concluded, and Juliette swallowed the words she was about to say.


    ''Bummer. I could have obtainedplete Affinities for all elements, and be overpowered... Wait, why am thinking this, can''t it hear me still.'' She thought to herself.


    "...I can''t. Dont worry. I didn''t hear a thing." It said, giving her a thumbs up with an expression demanding praise.


    "..."


    Juliette did her best to ignore it, and instead left the training room. Once out, the first thing she did was take out the two Spirit eggs that she kept within her room, and let them float behind her with Mana.


    And with how much Mana she had, she immediately dumped in trillions of units into them. But they didn''t hatch as expected. ''Do you guys need more Mana? Dont be greed. You know, Mana can kill you.''


    She thought about today''s lesson on Mana and told them, trying tomunicate with them. "Don''t worry. Since they are spirits, they will not die. Just pump in as much Mana as you want."


    The pixie prince said, and Juliette ignored it. But still did as it suggested, adding quadrillions of units of Mana into both eggs every second, afraid to kill them if she added any more.


    After all, quadrillions of units were still capable of cloaking up the entire universe. Of course, such knowledge was obtained from the pixies.


    ''At this point, I''m a Sage.'' She joked, and as she did so, they flew out of the inner circle of her temporary home, and towards the outer circle of this domain.


    During their flight, Juliette couldn''t help but ask out of curiosity. "Your highness, for the second reward, I''ve obtained an Elemental Seed. What does it do?"


    Yes. This was her second reward. Abd there was not much definition for it.


    The pixie prince thought about it, and flew to sit on her head. "Ah... that thing. It''s just a tool that most gods use to elevate theirw attainments."


    "It can help increase Law attainments for Elementalws. But for mortals, it can also be used to Summon a loyal Elemental that''s bound with you by blood." It said.


    "Aha, it''s like giving you the child you having been asking for." It added, pping hands for her in joy, as if it was the one celebrating.


    "...Yay. but how does that work?" Juliette frowned, not understand how an Elemental could be bound to her by blood.


    "Just add your blood Essence to it, and the condensedws within, will birth a half elemental, half human breed." The pixie prince exined.


    "...Wait, so if I let my husband and I do it together, would the child be both ours?" She asked, a bit excited.


    "Well, yes. If both if you are from the same race, then it is possible."


    "Yes!! I mean... that''s great." She said, more than excited.


    "But then if you instead fuse it into the spirit eggs, you''ll birth twin spirits instead. If lucky, maybe triplets?" The pixie prince suggested, and Juliette found the idea feasible.


    But overall, she still had to talk to Damien about it. If he agreed, then that was great. But if not... she''d use that to her advantage.


    "To fulfill your fantasies?"


    "Get off my heard... Now."

 Chapter 105 Everyone Is Surprised I

    ?*** Fou Falsar ***


    ''It has been over a day since we have arrived. But I am not going to im I don''t prefer such a life.'' I thought, rolling up my sleeves as I joined thedies in our daily duties.


    But such strenuous activities are not necessary. As demigods, it would be simple to just wave our hands, and the dishes are washed, the clothes and nkets as well.


    But we mostly prefer to do it ourselves, to avoid being bored. Unlike other races, we don''t have wars, studies or goals to keep us busy.


    We just prefer being a normal vige.


    "Ah, little Fou, you''re early today." One of our elders said, gently patting me on my back.


    She was from the same generation as my parents, a woman of maturity and beauty. I smiled back at her, "Yes. Today is a free day."


    "Everyday is a free day." She said, chuckling under her breathe.


    I rolled my eyes at herment with a smile, "We just got here yesterday." And with that, went on my merry day, starting with the washing.


    She also began helping a momentter, by fetching more clothes from the sorounding houses to wash.


    And by doing that, it came as a wake up call to other youngdies and mothers toe and join as well. After all, this was a group project.


    Meanwhile, the men also woke up and began on the process of building up our new homes.


    And yes, we have chosen to settle down here for the time being. We exchanged made artifacts and sewn clothes for light work building materials, such as nks.


    We also borrowed building tools as well. And throughout the 24 hours, we have done building the foundation of our new home.


    And as we are not sure how long we''ll be staying here, we chose to build a singlerge scaled building. Like a dome.


    We are not that much after all.


    "We''ll be done in a jiffy guys. Let''s push on." I said, prompting everyone to respond back in enthusiasm. "Yeah!!"


    But suddenly, as unexpected as this whole ce was, the tiny creatures that called themselves pixies suddenly flew out of their side of the territory.


    For small creatures, they sure hadrge houses and a vast territory. Anyhow, they flew out and circled the dark sky with great activities.


    They were like tiny stars of varying colors, moving in and out of space, as if celebrating the appearance of a supreme god.


    At the same time, sparkles flew out from time to time, as well as celebratory sounds of wild joy and happiness.


    "Wow." I eximed in amazement, my hands freezing in motion.


    But I wasn''t the only one who froze. Everyone else, be it the house maidens or the young maidens, or the builders and young forgers, they all stood shocked.


    "Sister Fou, what''s going on?" One of the young maidens working besides me subconsciously asked me. But how would I know?


    "...I am not too sure. Give me a moment." I responded, wiping my hands on my apron and hurriedly flying towards the men.


    Of course, I made due to keep my altitude on the low, a distance away from the ruckus in the sky.


    Soon, I arrived besides my father, and stroked up a conversation with him. He also didn''t know what was going on, and niether did mother, or the ancestor.


    "You should be the one to know something. Aren''t you our representative?" Fin shrugged her shoulders as she said, sitting idly atop therge book her size.


    "...Go back to reading." I said, but she had a point. I was the Falsarian''s representative, so I should go up and ask.


    With that in mind, I carefully flew up, and suspended myself a few meters below the celebrating pixies. "Uhm, excuse me your excellences."


    I called out. From my experience of staying here, and of being a goddess, I knew that these little creatures were gods at minimum.


    The weakest of them were gods far more powerfulpared to me. And even those, were just newborn children not much older than Fin.


    And as for the teenagers? Those in their prime? The middle aged ones? Thete ones or even the older ones? They were far beyond even my imagination.


    Hence I decided to be respectful at all times. "Hm?" And thanks to that, a rtively young looking pixie stopped and excitedly flew back to me.


    "What is it? What is it?" It asked, flying around me like a multicolored glow of light, the size of my fingernails.


    "Excuse me but, what''s the asion?" I asked, a light smile on my face. The best I could prepare.


    "Oh, you don''t know? No wonder you''re not celebrating. Hehehe, you see..." The pixie flew close to her ears and whispered, "...The unfortunate woman is finally out of her training."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Unfortunate woman..? Oh, isn''t thatdy Juliette?" I asked in surprise and the pixie seemed shocked at first.


    But a momentter it came to a realization and nodded, "Yes yes, her. So that was her name? The unfortunate woman has such a lovely name? Hehe, let me go tell my brothers."


    "O-Okay. Bye then." I said, weakly waving as it left. Even it''s speed was quite fast, appearing as nothing but a multicolored sh of light.


    I then descended and alerted my people. Everyone was also excited and stopped what they were doing, only to gather together neatly before the entrance of our new home''s foundation.


    We all had various flowers or herbs or the likes, small gifts one could give out during a greeting. They were also ranging from Tier 1 to Tier 3.


    Anything beyond that, and even we would feel strained. Plus, we thought of exchanging anything of Tier 4 or of Unique grade for high grade building materials.


    We waited, expectant at meetingdy Juliette, the so calleddy of misfortune. ''I wonder why she''s considered an unfortunatedy. What did she ever go through.''


    I thought, imagining a partially hideous or at most, a sad and depressed woman. But the moment she arrived, my thoughts werepletely erased.


    What was presented before my eyes, was a woman of great beauty. Beauty so high on the spectrum, she exceeded even myself, a goddess of beauty.


    Even when I was but a lesser god, I believed my beauty was beyond most gods regardless of realm. Yet here I was, doubting that notion right now.


    Herplexion seemed so beautiful and out of this world that, she almost resembled a beacon of hope within the dark skies of despair.


    Her dark hair resembled a waterfall of darkness, smooth and serene. Her eyes like two abyssal gateways, full of stars and pure wonder.


    "..."


    There was many more words, but I could not use them right now. I was too shocked. I couldn''t even be jealous at all. There was nopeting with this level of beauty.


    "..."


    And I was not the only one. Every other man or woman around me, was left speechless by such level of beauty.


    And to add more spice to the scene, the thousands of pixies flew around her, circting like countless stars orbiting around a central point of gravity.


    The scene was just too...


    "Hmm... Your highness, are they the group of esteemed demigods my husband sent?" She asked, her voice like the most sonorous heavenly aria there is.


    I felt my heart skip a beat... I was not interested in woman, that was for sure, but right now, I felt like I would actually go through heaven and earth for this woman.


    Just for her to call out my name.


    "Yup. Thats them." A response came from above her head, waking me up from my illusion. I then felt my heart beat race... now in fear.


    ''There''s no way this woman is just a goddess.'' I thought, fearing the grasp her beauty had over my heart. And let alone me, what of the young demigods under me?


    I was about to turn around to check their situation, but then, I saw the personification of beauty herself, slowly descend to me.


    ...!!!


    I felt my heart freeze, and my breathe vanish. She thennded besides me, and threw a casual smile at me. "Hi, pleasure to meet you, your excellences."


    She said, bowing down slightly, leaving not only me, but everyone bbergasted.


    "N¨CNo. It''s a pleasure of ours to meet you, mydy." I hurriedly threw my response at her, bowing respectful towards her.


    " " It''s nice to meet you,dy Juliette. " "


    The entire vige followed, bowing alongside me, and giving her the respect she deserves.


    "Ah..." I heard her exim in shock.


    "It''s... It''s fine everyone. Please raise your heads. There''s no need for this, please just feel free and at home. Oh, by the way, I am Juliette. Once more, a pleasur to meet you." She added, her tone quite pleasant to hear.


    That made me subconsciously smile. Everything proceeded perfectly well from there. We gave her our gifts, and she seemed quite touched.


    ...I also came to learn that, though her beauty was high, I was the only one who saw her as the center of the universe. I was quite embarrassed.


    ''Flint. You ought toe back... soon too.'' I thought to myself, fearing my own feelings and emotions.

 Chapter 106 Everyone Is Surprised II

    ?*** Narrative ***


    A meeting full of surprises had urred not just too long ago, just an hour ago to be precise.


    A beauty of high status even within the hearts of gods and demigods had descended, shocking everyone of them to reverence.


    And she herself, was also shocked at the power oozing out of the bodies of demigods. Especially so, the youngdy older than her that she met, Fou Falsar.


    That aside, she was surprised at their greeting gift, and felt the need to give them something back in return. Unfortunately, she was poor.


    "I''m sorry I cannot give you anything in return, Fou." Juliette said, a bitter smile on her lips.


    "No, it''s fine,dy Juliette. We are more than blessed by your presence already." Fou said, a smile of joy on her face.


    "...Hehe, please. And like I said, you can just call me Juliette, I don''t mind."


    "...My apologies, but, may I stick with justdy Juliette? Please?" Fou replied in bitterness, and Juliette could only chuckle it off.


    "Oh, thank you for the gifts once again." She said, and Fou nodded, "The pleasure is ours, mydy."


    "..."


    Juliette then kept quiet, feeling awkward. Meanwhile, Fou also kept quiet due to embarrassment.


    She was now sure that her feelings were ying with her heart. How could she so easily be ensnared by a woman? A woman just like herself.


    One who was supposedly Damien''s wife. Wouldn''t she be going against two godly beings were she to listen to her feelings?


    "So... mind telling more about you guys. And also how you met Damien. I''d like to hear everything about him." Juliette said to erase the awkwardness between them.


    But throughout her words, when Damien was mentioned, Fou felt slightly jealous. She now understood how her peers felt whenever she talked about Flint.


    She was just like this.


    "Yes, with pleasure." She replied back in joy.


    She didn''t understand her feelings quite well, but she at least understood that she did not want any true romantic ties with Juliette.


    What she felt was more on the scope of fanatic admiration. And she had yet to be aware of that.


    Both girls then entertained each other, and conversed about Damien, Flint, life and many more topics girls their age would entertain.


    After all, Fou was only seventeen years old despite her maturity. And Juliette was only fifteen years old as well. They were both rtively young women.


    And because of that, they felt even closer than they were a moment ago. Especially so, when both of their fiancee/crush, were outside together.


    This was Destiny at its finest.


    Their conversationsted for more than a few hours, where at the end, Fou had to leave to tend back to her duties with her people.


    Juliette sent her off, and once everything was done, she went back to her room and rxed. She rxed after forty hours of hellish training, and a few more of girl talk.


    ...But she had something that was bugging her. Something she had to do, before she really, really, really rxed.


    She took out the two Spirit eggs, one golden, and the other silver. She took them out, and gently caressed them briefly, with gentleness in her touch.


    A momentter, she carefully dumped them in a small pond of clear green liquid. Something she got from the pixie prince. Apparently it was full of life-force.


    It could help the spirits have a higher chance at being birthed. Not only Spirit eggs would hatch. It was like how women could have miscarriages.


    She ced them inside, and let them swim in joy. She watched for a moment, and once satisfied, she took out the Elemental Seed.


    It was a fist sized Orb, that had various colors filtering in and out of it''s surface. It was quite beautiful, and dense as well.


    "..."


    She blew out a light turbid breathe due to being nervous. Then decisively through it into the small pond as well, and let it stay with the spirit eggs.


    And seeing as there was no chaotic reaction, she sighed and finally rxed. As for why she did this? It was to let the three of them gain affinity with one another.


    Nothing else.


    "Ah, unfortunate woman, you were here... hm? What are you doing? Hmm..." The pixie prince flew into her room through the window, and onto her head.


    "I said call me Juliette." Juliette said inly, not even bothered at this point.


    "What you''re doing is not bad. It''ll cause a positive reaction, and increase the chances of the fusion being sessful. Anyway, that aside¨C"


    "Don''t just drop important information and skip over it like that." She cut off its words, breaking off her calm facade she just had a moment ago.


    But the pixie prince didn''t seem bothered, and continued. "...Your husband has returned."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "What?"


    "You heard me, right?" Learning from experience, the pixie prince said, a prideful smug on its face. But Juliette really wanted to hear those words again.


    Just in case she was just hallucinating. "Your highness, what did you say? My husband, as in Damien, is back? As in... back, back? Like really back?" She verified, her breathe held.


    "Mhm. He''s back."


    "..."


    Juliette froze for an instant. Only an instant.


    As not even a secondter, she found herself gaining a bundle of energy as she pushed herself off the ground and rushed out. She flew out like a bolt of lightning.


    "Hehe hehehe..." The pixie prince flew after her, curious at seeing the reunion.


    Once outside, Juliette saw the same thing that the Falsarians saw; a group of pixies celebrating and preparing for the entrance of the new arrivals.


    "..."


    She silently flew where the most ruckus was made, and there, she met Fou once more. "Lady Juliette, what is going on now?"


    "Damien ising back." Juliette worded each word with boundless emotions. And the ones that carried weight was expectations and joy.


    "Damien? Lord Damien?" Fou paused, and then suddenly became excited. She was happy for Juliette, and her reunion with her most beloved.


    But then it clicked to her that Damien had left with a certain boy. One that was HER most beloved as well.


    "..."


    She froze. Her heart beat suddenly climbed up the roof. It''s only been a day and a half, but that was the longest she has gone without seeing Flint.


    And now that he wasing back, she was slightly looking forward to meeting him. The others also arrived, and were alerted of the news.


    Fin hurried to stand besides Fou, fidgeting around. She could not wait to unleash all her wrath onto Flint the moment she saw. She even brought the <re Scribble>.


    And the didn''t have to wait for long, as two shes of light appeared in the sky, abruptly revealing the figures of two extremely handsome young men.


    "..."


    Their appearance was quite fast, and sudden, as they used the two remaining teleportation scrolls to arrive here.


    As for why they didn''t use one? It was because Damien wanted to confuse the pixies. Otherwise, they would let Flint suffer a strenuous process, just as his race did.


    But this way, they wouldn''t be able to guess which was Flint, and which was Damien. Which was fortunate.


    But unfortunately, he wasn''t aware of the ruckus they were making.


    Yet that all, wasn''t what shocked everyone. No, it wasn''t. Because their appearances, were the true shock dealer here. Especially to Juliette and Fou.


    "...Damien?"


    "...Flint?"


    They both called out, shocked beyond belief. Juliette had even frozen due to the magnified beauty of Damien, making her feel as if she was in a hazy dream.


    Even Fou. She was surprised by Flint''s charm, that got enhanced when he officially became a god as well. He seemed different, and more... confident with his bearing.


    The duo also set their eyes on their significant other. Damien showing great shock at Juliette''s enhanced beauty.


    Yes. Shock. For once, Damien had aplete change of expression, as shock colored his face. The only one not impressed... was Flint.


    ''Why are there a lot of people? Why are you all gathering here for?'' He thought, nor daring to look at Fou, nor Fin.


    Meanwhile, Damien suppressed his shock. Regrettably, Juliette didn''t see him blush. Instead, she saw him sigh.


    "...If you can''t suppress it, why fight it? Come, I know you need it as much as I do." He said, spreading his arms apart for a hug.


    Juliette folded to her emotions, and immediately rushed into his embrace like a blur of light. "DAMIIIEEEEEENN!!! I missed you so much."


    She said, drowning him in more words than he expected. While on their side,pletely opposite of the lovey dovey reunion, Fou casually flew towards Flint.


    The young man wanted to back away, but had to hold his image in front of Damien. Thus he stood afloat, looking at his fiancee with bitterness.


    "...Fou..." He said, not knowing what else to add to his words.


    Fou also felt speechless and awkward, and just slowly flew in front of him.


    "..."

 Chapter 107 Everyone Is Surprised III

    ?She wanted to reprimand him. But she also envied the atmosphere Juliette and Damien heard, and also wanted to throw herself at him as well.


    "...Why are you being shy now? Didn''t you always nag about seeing your fiancee, day in, day out." Damien said from the sidelines, gently brushing Juliette''s hair.


    Seeing their situation, he couldn''t help but try to help. Even though he was lying, he was lying for the better good of both of them. Or so he thought.


    "Huh..? Er, uh, uhm..."


    "...Really?" Fou held her breath and asked, her gaze softening on Flint''s.


    The young man felt his heart skip a beat, and subconsciously nodded his head. His thoughts also churned.


    "Yes, really. I missed you dearly. Most of me regretted leaving you behind... living without you was quite, hard." He said, causing her to wrap her hands around him.


    "I missed you too... but I''ll still punish you for leaving me all alone for almost two days." She added.


    At the end of the day, she had a soft spot for him, but also quite a hard spot as well. Technically, all the pink and ckness of her heart... belonged to him.


    "Wait, what..? Two days? Don''t you mean over two weeks?"


    "Two weeks? What two weeks? You guys left a day and half ago."


    "No. Seriously, I haven''t seen you for two whole weeks. Fourteen whole days... and more."


    "Huh..?"


    "Hm?"


    Seeing the confusion between the two, Juliette said, while flying past them. "Oh, sorry I forgot to tell you, my bad. This ce has a time dtion of being ten times slower than outside."


    "Ah..?" Fou gasped in shock, as she suddenly realized that Flint wasn''t lying. He actually had it rougher than her.


    "Yeah, but I wouldn''t feel to bad if I were you. At least this way, they both got punished by not seeing us for much longer than us." She added with a wink at Fou.


    Meanwhile, she was also holding Damien''s hand affectionately. Her words contradicting her attitude.


    Fou thought about it, and found that it truly did make sense. While she spent almost two days without him, he spent more than two weeks without her.


    "But he''s still reading the <re Scribbles>." She added, giving him a nasty side eye.


    "...Tch, you might as well just worship that book at this point." He whispered under his breathe.


    "What was that?"


    "Nothing, my beloved." He said with the most innocent smile he could muster.


    "By the way, what''s the re Scribble?" Juliette asked, seemingly curious at this word. Fou then replied, "It''s a book that has all of our elders inspirations and epiphanies."


    "But half of it was already written even before them. So only the other half was written by our elders. Reading can help one understand themselves more, and get closer to the ze Source."


    "If lucky, they could even obtain the "Heart of Fire". An illusory treasure that can make one extremely bold and be the personification of Fire itself." She concluded.


    "That''s amazing. You have such an amazing book." Juliette marveled, but Damien then added. "That only applies to Falsarians. Don''t have any thoughts on giving it a try."


    "...Oh? But it''s still amazing isn''t?" She nodded, and Fou smiled in response.


    And just like that, the reunion between the love birds ended, and the four of them, including the pixie prince, found themselves within a neat study.


    They conversed about what the duo went through, and brief up the whole experience as well, which the remaining three were interested in.


    "So you guys fought a greater god?" Fou asked in amazement, and Flint nodded in pride. "And you also killed a monster god?"


    "Yup." He nodded once more.


    "Oh? So you can kill now..." She added, her eyes squinting at him. Flint paused, and shut his mouth, pretended he did not hear that question.


    Not like he never killed rabbits or other preys before. But saying that to her now, would only make matters worse.


    "I''m just impressed you guys robbed those poor Trolls." Juliette said her own mind as well.


    "It''s simply the way of life in this world... Anyhow, that aside, how have you guys been? What have you been up to as well?" Damien responded, and also asked a question of his own.


    And that was something he was genuinely interested in. The two girls were also happy to talk about themselves as well.


    Juliette going first, and Fou next. The guy duo was also impressed as well. Especially Damien. Hearing that Juliette obtained four Affinities while still being an Apprentice made him see her in a different light.


    It was even more impressive than him obtaining three Laws as a Saint Profession. Both were impossible feats, but one was more impossible than the other.


    But just as the conversation circted around the two couples, the pixie prince suddenly said, "Aha, don''t forget that you still owe me. Hehe."


    It said, it''s words being even louder than the four of them added together, leaving them all speechless. Especially so, when it had its eyes glimmer with a spark of innocent greed.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    Not that Damien had forgotten that he owes the pixie prince a lot. Just that now was his time with his loved one, but since it was mentioned¨C


    "Uhm, we owe you?" Fou asked, confused as the pixie''s words had no specifications.


    "Ah, not you, softie. I mean the unfortunate woman''s husband." It said.


    "I said call me Juliette."


    "Okay, unfortunate woman."


    "..."


    "Ignore it. Alright your highness, I''ll pay you." Damien said, patting Juliette''s head to calm her down. Then at the same time, he pointed to Flint.


    "First, I''ve brought you another anomaly." He said, surprising Flint and Fou. "Huh? You''re selling me, sir Damien?"


    "No. I also brought you an entire race of great Providence. And don''t start with me about their worth. I know it." He added.


    "Huh?" Now Fou was the one who was surprised.


    "Don''t overthink things. You are still under me, hence I''ll take responsibility of the entirety of Falsar. But you will be staying here, in this Realm instead." He exined.


    "Oh. I understand." She nodded, but Flint was still left behind. "What about me? If you are not selling me, then what?"


    "Anomalies are rare. I am one myself." Damien said, then added, "Meeting one, and knowing their value is considered a blessing. Let alone Meeting two of them."


    He exined, and Flint nodded in understanding as well. New knowledge was always appreciated. Juliette and Fou also nodded in understanding as well.


    "...That doesn''t cover it all. A Barrel of Faith is still expensive you know? Let alone those teleportation scrolls." The pixie prince said, bing stern for once.


    It''s words caused Fou and Flint to pause in shock. They now understood where the Barrels of Faith that Damien gave them came from. They also understood that nothing seemed free in this world.


    "I know. That''s why I''ll also give you this." Damien nodded, and snapped his fingers, causing a droplet of silver and sapphire to appear and float above the table they sat around, taking up all the spot light.


    BOOOM!!!


    ...!!!


    And just as the droplet appeared, it shattered the table, and released obscene waves of power that spread throughout the whole room.


    But none of those within the rooms had lower reserves of energy. Even Fou, with the smallest reserves, had Divine power, which even a single unit was trillions of units of Mana.


    "Oho? What''s this? What''s this?" The pixie prince stretched out its hand and grasped the droplet within its hand without much effort.


    "..."


    The weight contained within did not phase it. And this was something that not even a powerful god amongst god would graps with their bare strength alone.


    Not even Damien could do that. Hence he was quite impressed since the pixie used pure physical force alone. No energy, no ability, no technique.


    "Now this is amazing... it''s been ages I''ve seen something like this." It thought, summoning an old dirty pouch.


    Once opened, a powerful glow of silver and sapphire spread out. It threw the droplet inside, closed the pouch and sending it off.


    "A single unit of Pure Reified Divine Power. Unfortunately one is not enou¨C"


    "Don''t bullshit me." Damien said, his words cutting of its own. He then added. "In fact, including the first two, I''ve given you more than enough."


    "Oh?" It thought, and lost all of its excitement. But one could see that it''s treatment of Damien had changed, as it went to sit on top of his head.


    "...But as thanks for all that you did for Juliette and the Falsarians, he''s another one." He sighed, and called out another unit of Pure Reified Divine Power.


    The pixie prince bloomed like a flower, catching the unit and hurriedly putting it away. Then it began giggling like a little girl who saw her crush.


    Everyone else opted to ignore it, and then went on their daily lives, chatting and getting to know one another better.


    And one thing Juliette realized was that, Flint seemed to quite like Damien a lot. And seeing that, she desired to get closer to Fou as well.


    ''It wouldn''t hurt to be friends like this for a lifetime.'' She thought to herself, acting more freely and closer to Fou and Flint. Treating them like family friends.

 Chapter 108 Are You Ready For This?

    ?Time ticked by, and soon enough, it was already midnight within the Realm. Fou and Flint went their way, and so did Damien and Juliette.


    And thest two were now within their own residence, one sitting down on the bed, and the other leaning back on the wall.


    Silence ensured between them. Juliette having determination burning within her eyes. "...And that''s that. I was thinking it would be great if we hatched them, and raised them together. What do you think?"


    She said, quite nervous.


    After all, she had just finished up giving an exnation as to why she had two spirit eggs, and what her thoughts about them were. Like a newlywed wife, discussing baby matters with her husband.


    "..."


    Damien kept his silence, and only stared at her for a while longer. His thoughts? Honestly, he thought she wouldn''t like his personal input on the matter.


    But he would still say it nheless. "Why do you desire raising a child so much?" He first inquired.


    "Hmm..." And she carefully thought about it. Why did she want to raise the two spirits so much? A desire? An instinct?


    "Well... For starters, I feel like raising them would be great. I mean, they are spirits. Don''t you wanna¨C"


    "I know what a spirit is. I''ve seen to many to count. I also killed too many to count." Damien said, cutting off her words, while sternly looking down at her.


    "Oh." Was her response. "...Truth be told, I just felt like it would be a great idea to raise a child with you." She added, also stern.


    "..."


    Yey Damien kept quiet, and only continued to stare down at her, without much emotions as usual. Juliette did not falter, but held back her breathe in anticipation.


    "...Alright then. I''ll consider it if you answer me any of these question."


    "Really? Do you mean that?" She was euphoric at his response, her eyes sparkling with joy, slightly surprising Damien with how cute she was.


    "Yeah... Firstly, do you have any means of suppory for the children? Any support systems you have thought of pertaining to their growth?" He cleared his thoughts, and threw out his first question.


    And Juliette was left speechless at how serious the question was. She also had no answer to that question, and was thinking of one.


    "..."


    But Damien didn''t give her the chance. "Would they implicate your ns and goals, or not? Did you take that into consideration?"


    "Ah..?"


    "Or are you mentally prepared to bear the responsibilities of being a mother? Not to humans, but to spirits at that..? Do you even know anything about baby spirits?"


    "..."


    "...Do you really want kids? If yes, what for? Did you take that to mind, sweetheart?" He asked, and Juliette still had no response.


    "..."


    "And I''m not going against your decision. My mentality is that of a man past his prime, but you''re still just a young maiden, just over fifteen years of age."


    "I can''t help but think for you. So don''t keep quiet, let''s keep on... How would they impact your daily life?" He continued, and Juliette lowered her head in shame.


    "..."


    "...Or perhaps, are you and me on the same page about starting a family?"


    "...I thought you''d want to have a family with me, too. After all, I''m not getting any younger." Juliette finally responded, but her tone was soft and on the low.


    "I know." Damien nodded in response. "And I don''t mind having you as my wife, the mother of my children, or even the bearer of my fortune."


    "..."


    She kept quiet, and only pouted. Damien then continued his words, "But you just came of age. You just began on the path of bing a supernatural."


    "You are also beginning on the path of being my woman. You are not ready for any of your fantasies. Including the ones you have before you sleep."


    "..."


    Juliette kept quiet, but her face was shaded pink. She felt like she was an open book to anyone she came across.


    The pixies, and now Damien?


    "But I''m d you have such thoughts. Means you are affectionately bound to me, as I am to you. But once more, it''s regrettable that you''re not ready."


    He paused, then added with a sigh. "Or rather, we are both not ready... Let''s not be like our parents, where we''ll be forced to neglect our children due to work and such."


    He thrn paused, and added with a much lighter, and softer tone than he usually took.


    "...We''ll have enough time once we are done with our goals. Or at most, once we''ve settled down and created a solid foundation for not only just our race... but for us two." He concluded, walking before her.


    He then rested his hand on her head, gently feeling her soft hair.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    And he also felt the need to add. "If you''re scared someone would steal me from you, don''t be. I don''t have much emotions thanks to my mentality."


    "But I do have enough obsession to give me a sense of life and desire. And you, my dearest one, are a part of both." He said, and moving away from her.


    "..."


    Juliette kept quiet, but her eyes were now a bit cloudy with emotions.


    She continued to keep her head lowered, and her heart steeled. Or else his words would drown her in even more obsession and love of him.


    "And before you do anything major in the future, always ask yourself... Am I ready for it? And then move after you''ve given yourself a steadfast response." He concluded.


    But then, feeling like he would not stop talking, he changed the topic. "By the way, tomorrow I''ll teach you how to ascend to be a Saintess/Sage Profession."


    "I''ve also reached that Realm as well. After that, we''ll settle down for a while and return home. What do you say?" He asked for her input.


    "...Fine with me." She replied, a smile on her face. As for her eyes? She had cleared out the tears a while ago.


    Plus, they were tears of joy. She wasn''t much ashamed of them to begin with. "...Alright then. Let''s get some sleep then."


    "Okay~"


    And just like that, the first couple of the day had their sleep. Meanwhile, at the same time, Flint and Fou also had conversations of their own.


    "..."


    Flint, shirtless and in shorts, sat by at the far end of their makeshift room. Fou, wearing a thin night gown, sat at the other end of the room.


    They both seemed quite handsome and captivating, as well as beautiful and mesmerizing, respectively.


    They also threw away the facade of being a perfect couple immediately after they were within the room.


    Fou frowned, and her hair almost raged out into mes, making her seem like a volcano about to erupt any moment.


    "..."


    Flint felt his heart freeze. He could not even leave, nor fight it out with her. He just sumbed to his circumstances like a man deserving of his punishment.


    "So... how would you want me to punish you? The <re Scribble> isn''t near enough. Nor is you spending two weeks without me. In fact, I believe you enjoyed yourself, didn''t you?" She said, word for word.


    "No, that''s not it." Flunt hurried defended himself. "I really missed you. Honestly, fighting gods was kind of hard. And we also didn''t have time to cook and stuff."


    He said in panic, and Fou slightly softened her gaze. "...I''ll believe you, then. You deserve that much. But still, how could you just up and leave me like that?"


    "..."


    "You can''tmunicate with me..? Or what, don''t you believe I''d let you go out and enjoy yourself from time to time?" She said, her anger almost erupting.


    "No, that''s not it¨C"


    "Then what is it, Flint? Am I abusing you? Am I forcing you into this rtionship?"


    "NO!! Fou, calm down, listen¨C"


    "How can I listen if you don''t think I have the capability to?!"


    "..."


    "..."


    The room was left in silence. And the only thing that could be heard was Fou''s heavy breathing. At some point, her emotions got the better of her.


    Even gods and goddesses could experience pain and injustice. And Fou felt the former at this moment, while Flint felt thetter.


    He didn''t know what to say to her. All the words he had were swallowed, and let her say what she wanted to say. Even if she degraded him, he wouldn''t struggle.


    He felt like deserved it, and had no right to say anything back to her.


    And the situation remained so for a while longer, until Fou sighed and just prepared the bed for both of them. "Let''s sleep. We will deal with this matter properly another time."


    "...I''m sorry. I won''t lea¨C"


    "Please love, let us go to sleep. I''d appreciate that more than anything right now."


    "I''m really sorry."


    "I know. And don''t worry yourself too much, I''m not angry. I''m just disappointed... You can do better than that, Flint... Now let us rest."


    "...Alright." Flint bitterly nodded his head and joined her on the bed.


    And just like that, the second couple ended their day as well. But unlike the former, they ended their day on a bitter mood.

 Chapter 109 Explosive Mana

    ?The two couples had their ownte night conversations, and prepared to meet theing of tomorrow in varying emotions.


    Meanwhile, when this took ce, the pixie prince sat atop an invisible chair up at the sky of the Realm. It was looking down on the two families in deep thoughts.


    "Ah... two anomalies, one with an irregr, and the other with a variant. And as expected, each one has their own troubles." It said, smiling to itself.


    Sorounding it''s body, was gold and silver star dust, making its visage seem otherworldly as of this moment.


    Then, abrupt and unexpected, an ethereal voice filtered through space and time, ringing like a heavenly bell, andmented on its thoughts.


    < It''s to be expected, isn''t it? An irregr would do things that are out of the blue. Things not considered regr. While a variant would cause a differentiation to their intended path >


    < Both are amazing aspects, but if you include them onto the path of Anomalies? Now that creates a future worth waiting for >


    It said, and the pixie prince nodded. "Yes indeed... But I''m pretty sure Mrs Laura has more important business to do, than to spy on us feeble ones."


    It said with a smile, and the ethereal voice erupted out into a fit of gentleughter.


    < Feeble ones? You guys? Hah!! You''re probably the most favored race to ever be born, thanks to directly being born from the LORD''s Providence >


    "..."


    The pixie prince kept quiet and watched as the night progressed, awaiting the entrance of the next day to arrive.


    ~~~


    The next day, Damien, as promised, taught Juliette about the process of ascension, and led her throughout her levels.


    "So first, breakthrough all the way to a Master Profession." He said, wearing long pants and a tight white vest on him for betterfort.


    "Mhm." Juliette nodded, sitting cross legged on the floor. She wore a tight fit one piece gear, that would allow her better mobility and flexibility.


    And as Damien instructed, she willed The Primordial Source to Level her up all the way to a Master Profession. As that urred, Damien added.


    "At the sane time, circte your Man''s through your Mana veins as fast as you could. This will act as a hammer to forge your body to better take on theing modifications."


    "Mhm."


    Juliette hummed a response, and did as he suggested. Her Nigh-Infinite Mana was forcefully circted, causing pressure to climb up on her Mana veins.


    And this resulted in her feeling extreme heat that threatened to boil her blood to evaporation.


    She bit her lip and did her best to fight through the pain. And thanks to her previous experience of burning under a star, and her natural resistance to fire, she managed to keep on.


    After ten minutes of such torture, she felt her body''s heat lower itself back to normal. She could now take on the pressure supplied to her Mana veins.


    After five more minutes, she felt nothing from the process. And two minutester, she could already feel her Stats increasing slightly.


    A minuteter, and the effects died down. The process was brief, just like that.


    "Very good. I''m impressed." Damien said, and then added. "Now promote yourself to be an Epic Profession."


    "At the same time, infuse your cells with your Mana. You have more Mana than I did when I went through my process, hence better progress. Now use that to your favor."


    "You also have four maxed out Affinities. Use them to the best of your abilities, and include them throughout your body refinement." He concluded.


    "Mhm."


    Juliette hummed another response. She then took a deep breathe, and did as he told her, infusing all her Mana into all trillions of cells making up her physiology.


    Each of her cells were infused with so much Mana, they surpassed even the natural reserves of the strongest of demigods.


    Her physical Stats underwent another explosive increase. And feeling the changes herself, Juliette could not help but smile.


    At the same time, her thoughts churned. ''I have four Elemental Affinities, and as far as I can tell, I can add one of them onto my body right now. But which one?''


    She thought, she could choose Earth, but thought against it. It could increase her strength and defense greatly, but she had other ns for that Element.


    Instead, she chose Wind. It''s speed and flexibility being her major reason for choosing it. ''I was never a fight after all.'' She thought.


    And with that thought, she infused the Wind Affinity towards her cells, making them beposed of both Mana and Wind, making them lighter and airy.


    At the same time, she felt her body lighten as well. As if she was constantly floating in the air.


    "Very good, impressive progress. Now channel all that Mana towards both your Heart, and your Brain. If you can''t do it at the same time, you can do it once a at a time."


    "Remember, rushing things leads to defaults and errors. So take your time." He said.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Mhm."


    But Juliette felt like she could do it. And thus with that thought, she did it. She channeled her Mana to her Heart and to her Brain as instructed.


    And as her Mana surpassed that of Damien when he did the whole process, she was able to connect to both her Soul and Spirit faster than him.


    Thus, nourishing both aspects even faster than he did. At the same time, she chose to infuse the Earth Element to her Spirit, and the Water Element to her Soul.


    The former due to it being impregnable. Earth was considered the toughest amongst all four Elements. Adding it to her Spirit/Will, she desired to have an impregnable Will.


    As for thetter Element, she chose it due to water being a serene and peaceful Element. Which was what she desired of her inner self.


    "Marvelous, loving the progress so far. Now, level up all the way to a Saint Profession. You have innately resonated with the world through your previous Elements fused into you."


    "Now, try and directly connect yourself to the fire aspect of the world. Use it as a connection between you and the world, and perfect the harmony of all four elements within your body." He said.


    But deep down, even he was not sure of the possibility of that statement. Hence he was looking forward to it.


    "Mhm."


    Juliette felt the uncertainty within his tone, and became stern. She focused on the Fire Elemental particles of the world, and called them towards herself.


    And the elemental red particles representing fire threw themselves at her like a tide, but she was not phased up one bit.


    Instead, she took a deep breathe and formed a connected with the particles. Which she wouldter use to resonate her three aspects together with it.


    A bold idea from her. And one that unexpectedly worked.


    BOOOM!!!


    Her body exploded out with power, creating a massive wave of colorful aura that threatened to destroy everything around them.


    Following the oppressive waves of power, was theplete process of resonation taking ce between all of Juliette''s aspects and her elements.


    And with that being the case, her Realm of power solidified at the Saintess Profession, thus meaning that theplete boost of Mana also took ce.


    And as she was the Mana Derivator...


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ An Ascandent Achievement made. You have reached the peak of your Existential Level, and are one step closer to bing the Derivator of Mana ]


    [ Your ss has rewarded you with an explosive increase of 10 000% of your total Mana reserves, to prove to the world that in terms of Mana... you''re Unrivaled ]


    "...Ah?" Juliette lightly eximed, and so did Damien. "Hm?" He then froze at the sudden burst of Mana within his body.


    "..."


    ...Just the Mana umted and waiting to burst out was massive, let alone the total Mana that would have umting after this whole process.


    BOOOM!!!


    Both Juliette and Damien''s bodies exploded out into powerful, and magnificent pirs of golden Mana that connected both the heaven and earth of this Realm.


    And the pirs were so eye catching that, the whole Realm''s attention was forcibly caught. Including all pixies and all Falsarians.


    "Oho... isn''t this interesting?"


    "Are they finally going to die?"


    "Let''s go check. Let''s go check."


    "Comiiiiiing~"


    "Weeeeee~"


    The pixies immediately dropped whatever it was that they were doing and flew towards the sight of the pirs of condensed Mana.


    They were never busy creatures to begin with, and had children''s mentalities.


    Meanwhile, Flint, who was looking through the blueprint of their new home, and feeling touched by Fou''s consideration of building him his own personal forgery... paused and looked up in shock.


    "...Something is wrong." He said, but did not know whether to go check it out or not. But Fou appeared besides him with a small frown on her face.


    She had a pair of square rimmed sses, and had her long hair tied into a pony tail. She looked quite cute and beautiful. Especially so, as both wore long overalls.

 Chapter 110 Ascandent Humans

    ?"Isn''t that the ce Lord Damien and Lady Juliette went to?" She asked, and Flint nodded with a frown of his own.


    "Should we...?" He suggested, and she nodded. "Let us." And just like that, the duo flew towards the two pirs of Mana as well.


    Some Falsarians also flew towards the direction as well, including Fin. She wasn''t holding the <re Scribble>, but a cute sword her size.


    But before they arrived at the two pirs, they suddenly saw them expand, and then fused together to form one single pir of even greater magnitude.


    "...What on earth?" Flint marveled at the pressure oozing out of the now fused pirs, but Fou grabbed him by the hand and dragged him forward. "Let''s hurry."


    "Alright." They flew over as fast as they both could, and watched the pir from afar.


    Around them were thousands of pixies, and tens of Falsarians. And the numbers were continously increasing as well.


    Meanwhile, the couple responsible for all of this, had their bodies easily evaporated by the intense Mana zing out of them, and forming the pir.


    And the only thing floating within, was their Wills. And those Wills, could gain a bit of understanding at what was urring to them right now.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ An Ascandent Achievement!! ]


    [ Both your three aspects of Existence have resonated together, and were greatly exposed to one another thanks to the contract bounding both your souls together ]


    [ Your "Ascandent Foundation" and your "Apex Foundation" have fused together, bing a never before heard of Unique Foundation ]


    [ You have awakened the "Ascandent Apex Foundation" ]


    [ This is foundation that is spilt amongst your entire race. You''ve opened up a path of bing Unique Existences to humans ]


    [ Once you breakthrough, you can both be the Progenitors of the Ascandent Human Race. And as the first Unique Grade variations of Humanity, it shall forever stand above alling variation, and incorporate them into itself ]


    "..."


    "..."


    The two Wills, one representing Damien and the other representing Juliette, remained silent as the were both shocked at the urring events that currently took ce.


    This... was a nexus point for humanity.


    And as that urred, the massive pir of Mana slowly receded. At the same, the more of the couple''s bodies were being reformed.


    And once the pir was gone, Damien and Juliette, found themselves at the same postures they had been, just a moment ago.


    "..."


    "..."


    They remained silent, and only exchanged gazes. And from that brief exchange, they were able to tell the minor changes that took ce on their bodies.


    "...This was unexpected." Commented Damien, watching Juliette with her head having a mixture of ck and silver hair. More of ck.


    Her eyes were also heterochromic, one was ck with its previous beauty, while the other was blue, with a mystical rune at its center.


    "...Yeah." Juliette nodded, more affected at Damien''s change than he was with hers.


    He also had a head full of both silver and tinum blonde hair. But unlike her, his eyes were both blue. One having a rune at its center, and the other just being sky blue.


    He also had the same mark that she had on his forehead, but his four droplets were all grey in color.


    And either than, there was no changes made to their physiques and the likes.


    "Sir Damien, Miss Juliette..." Flint''s voice flew over, as both he and Founded besides them.


    At the same time, the pixies and remaining Falsarians also descended.


    "Ah... you never cease to amaze me." The pixie prince said, with an exaggerated sigh of exasperation. "As expected from an Anomaly."


    But everyone else ignored it. "Are you guys okay? What happened?" Fou inquired, personally checking up on Juliette.


    "Sorry about that, Fou. We are alright. Just a minor setback and ignorance that led to all this. But ultimately, we are fine. See?" Juliette replied with a smile.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I''m d to hear that." Fou sighed, and finally rxed. Meanwhile, Flint and Damien... checked up on each other like ordinary men.


    Silently.


    And just like that, the matter was concluded. Nobody dared to ask more about the intricacies of what truly urred, while some, like the pixie prince, already knew.


    "You should stay here. Stabilize your foundation, and bring yourself truly to the peak of mortality." Damien said to Juliette, who asked back with a frown. "What about you?"


    "I''m stable as I am. I''ll also be helping Flint and the Falsarians build up their new home if you need me." He replied nonchntly.


    "...Alright then." She nodded, and sat herself down. She had a lot to do.


    Getting ustomed to her newly found stats, rising up all her spells to the third circle, possibly fourth, and many more. And she began as soon as Damien left.


    Meanwhile, Damien went to help the Falsarians with their building process as he said.


    Throughout the process, Flint sold half of the Mana rted resources he had, for building materials from the pixies.


    And not just ordinary materials, but things that not even demigods would easily damage, or look down upon. He also took out half of the ones remaining to use as building resources.


    He was going all out.


    "..."


    Damien found himself speechless, but did not advise him against it. He also had simr ns when it came to building a perfect refugee for humanity.


    And just like that, the day flew by. Nothing drastic urred, and the workers spent the night working themselves off. And to the next day as well.


    Sleep was unnecessary for them, and just did it for the sake of experience. But if need be, they could stay up for as long as possible.


    They were demigods, and demigod equivalent powerhouses. Even spending months awake, without food or water, was not much of a problem... Just a limiting factor.


    Two days after Damien involved himself in the building process, the pixies also joined, giving them enough time to rest, while increasing their pace of progress.


    And during his rest period, Damien decided to open up the definition of what an Ascandent Human was. After all, ''Knowing oneself is as good as opening up a path of victory.''


    He remembered such a thought from a Dragon that once taught him the tactics of war. She was a natural born war goddess.


    [ Race: Ascandent Human ]


    [ Potential: Godly Unique ]


    [ Definition: A Unique variation of humans, born out of the sheer hard work and unforthamable talent of two humans. This variation of humans have their Mana explosively differentpared to that of other races. Just by bing one/being born as one, your base Mana will begin at a trillion units. Their strength, speed, defense and other stats are also twenty times more than average (Base requirement; Epic Profession or stronger). Their gic trait allows them to be able to breakthrough limits and restrictions, and gives them the irreversible urge to do the impossible... regardless of the cost. Once powerful enough, they can obtain theplete Mastery over the Universal Rules of Manadynamics, Mana-nucleosis, Mana-Kinesis... and shape Reality''s interior at Will ]


    [ Traits: As the first variation of humanity of this world, Ascandent Humans will be able to incorporate other iing unique variations, and reciprocate their alpha traits into itself as sub traits, always keeping itself as the Alpha Genes. This trait is considered an Ultimate effect, thus taking up the slot of other traits ]


    [ Progenitic Effects: As Progenitors of this race, you''re innately immune to other Ascandent Humans, regardless of strength or realm. If you desire it, you obtain "Absolute Invulnerability" against them ]


    [ BONUS: Do to your Ascandent Achievement, your Unique Abilities "Wisdom Eye" and "Plot Armor", has been elevated. It''s effects have been enhanced greatly and affected by your Bloodline. Your Extra Abilities "Chosen Extra" and "Dazzling Presence" have been sacrificed towards your Bloodline for a Hidden trait ]


    [ Hidden Trait: Anyone carrying this Bloodline, be it aplete or half Bloodline, obtain a Dazzling Presence wherever they go. Their presence catches the attention of those around them, one way or another. Depending on the purity of their Bloodline, minor, major or even irreversible events circte around them. And Fate and Fortune indirectly pulls them to be part of the blessed individuals circting around it ]


    "..."


    Damirn felt speechless. Completely speechless from shock.


    Everything about this new race was considered sphemous to the understood principles ofmon sense.


    Just having a base of trillions of units of Mana, while being born an Epic was fantastic. Not even the strongest of demigods had that much Mana within them.


    But let alone that, the enhanced stats, the gic trait, the influence on the Universal Rules, the trait, the progentic effects, and even the hidden trait... all of these were illogical.


    "But then, it''s as expected of a race of Godly Unique potential. It''s almost at the level of the seven major races... which makes more sense." He thought out loud.


    And that being the case, it made him wonder. "Why are you trying so hard to get on my good side?" And he wondered, his words targeted at a certain entity.


    [ ...The Destiny Eater ]

 Chapter 111 Farewell~

    ?[ ...The Destiny Eater ]


    And a response came. One not even one bit shameful. Okay, maybe a bit ashamed. "What''s so special about this creature anyway? Is it worth you doing this?"


    Damien thought. Honestly, he expected a Unique, or given the Anomaly status, a Godly variation when he saw the term, "Ascandent Human".


    But Godly Unique? Now that was unexpected, and terrifyingly rare, under normal circumstances.


    [ The Seas of Destiny are an unexpected resource. Obtaining it can help me, personally at that. But the Destiny Eater... if let be, with its obtained ss, could potentially be a threat for this entire Continent ]


    "...And you care how? I thought you''d be neutral to all parties."


    [ I thought the same as well. But if the Seven Supremes can have their own children be protected, and act as their guardians... whats fair in that? And why can''t I have my own pawns as well? ]


    "Pawns..? If need them, then go find them elsewhere."


    [ No. I only want you ]


    "...Well I don''t."


    [ I''ll reward you greatly. For every small errand you make, will be a great reward. I''m omnipotent, I can satiate all your wishes ]


    "..."


    Damien paused to think.


    Not that he wasn''t tempted, he was. And he also didn''t care much about fair games.


    The seven major were never fair to begin with, why should he? In fact, nothing was ever fair in this world, or the next one. Life was never fair to he honest.


    And this had nothing to do with being born with a silver spoon, or no spoon at all. Life was just unfair in essence and meaning. Only death was closer to being fair.


    As for why he tried to disagree?


    It was simply because, if the Seven Supremes realized that the Primordial Source favored a single race, they would target it with all their might.


    And as far as he knew it... Humanity already had a rotten fate in ordance to the seven major races. Why would he make it any worse.


    [ Don''t worry too much. I''m omnipote¨C ]


    "I know. Skip over that." He said, irritatedly cutting off its sentence before it could form it.


    [ ... ]


    And The Primordial Source found itself keeping quiet due to shock. Nobody ever dares to talk back at it, let alone disrespect it. Yet this human always does that.


    But it let it pass. It was enjoying Damien''s presence and his life. And also the fact that he had quite the interesting character.


    [ ...If you don''t believe me, I''ll let you on, on a little secret. The seven major races are on a path of exceeding their current grades ]


    "Attempting at being Outer..? Alright. I''ll do as you say, and deal with that monster for you." Damien thought about it and said, then stood up from his rest.


    His rest time was up, and it was about time he joined the crew again. Then he added, "But I''ll do it at my own timing. Until then, keep less contact with me as possible, Primordial."


    [ Noted, human ]


    And just like that, the conversation between the two ended, Damien not taking it to heart.


    The Primordial Source was indeed Omnipotent to Damien''s perspective, but that alone, did not make it all that amazing.


    Candles could be a source of light, but can also be a prologue to a unique means of death; burning through fire.


    There were two sides to almost everything. And The Primordial Source was no exception to that concept. Niether was he, himself.


    The day continued as such, work, work and even more work. In no time at all, it was already midnight, and Damien went home, where he found Juliette within their residence.


    "Ah, wee back hubby." She said, preparing dinner for the both of them.


    She was taught how to cook by Esther, and thus, her cooking was as amazing. Especially so, when Esther learnt from various chefs, at different Strongholds.


    "...Yeah, I''m back." But Damien wasn''t surprised by that, he was surprised that she was home.


    That meant that, her stabilizing her foundation went perfectly fine. But another reason was her calling him "hubby" now.


    ''From Dam, to big brother, to Damien and now hubby..? What next? Darling..?'' He thought, but realized that he wouldn''t like that.


    ''More than I don''t like "big brother".'' He concluded his thoughts with that, and added, "How are you feeling today?"


    "Not bad. Actually, great. I managed to grow quite powerful through out these past days." She said, finishing up the final touches of the dinner.


    Damien nodded, and went in for a bath. But his voice could still be heard, "I''m thinking of going back home tomorrow. What do you think?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Home? Yeah, it''s been quite a while since I''ve seen uncle and auntie. I quite miss them. Do you?"


    "No."


    "Figures." She chuckled at his fast response, but knew that he missed them deep down. "I don''t mind. We can go back as soon as you''re ready... By the way, how''s the building project going?"


    "Not bad. Progress has been flowing perfectly well. The foundation had beenpletely built." Damien responded.


    "Oh? I see. I''m happy for Fou. At least, now she''ll be able to live with her man. They can settle down." She said, thinking about the reserved and humble young woman.


    "..."


    Damien kept his silence from there. Bathing did not take him long, as after half an hour, he was already done. Including changing and all necessary procedures.


    "Come, let''s eat. Today I''ve made this meat the pixies called "Monk Seals". Apparently, they are soft, tender and sweet. Oh, they can also heal any internal injuries, and sooth one''s muscles."


    Juliette said with a smile, introducing every dish she made while Damien took his seat.


    Damien enjoyed the introductions despite knowing almost all ingredients. He also enjoyed her chattering, despite keeping up a stern expression even now.


    "...and this one here, is meat stew made up of "Almond ntis". A rare species of living nts. I hear it tastes nd, but I''m not sure. here here, say aah~" She said, moving the spoon towards his mouth.


    Her eyes were clearly brimming with hope and stars, forcing Damien to do as she says, and be fed. This made him remember how his mother spoiled his father.


    "How is it?" She asked, a bit shy and expectant. Damien chewed andter responded, "...Hm, nd as expected. And they are not properly boiled."


    "Oh? Should I have spent more time boiling them?"


    "Only two minutes more, and they would loosen up. Otherwise, they are just an ordinary snack, and not a dish fit for dinner."


    "I see..." She thought about it, and then noted it down. Afterwards, she began feeding him her other dishes, and taking down notes.


    The night went by, and soon enough, it was already morning.


    Damien and Juliette had packed up their things, but left a few belongings since they would be returning soon enough.


    And one of those left behind, were the twin Spirit eggs and the Elemental Seed. Juliette left the three of them to Fou, and a female pixie, trusting them with what she considered her "potential babies".


    "You guys are really leaving? So soon?" Fou asked, her eyes drooping with sadness as she held both of Juliette''s hands.


    "Haha, sorry about that Fou. We really have to go and look after our people as well. Matters are not looking promising for them as things look." Juliette replied with a smile.


    "...Alright then, I won''t hold you back from going back to your people. And once again, Lord Damien, thank you for your hospitality."


    "Like I said, I am no lord of sorts. And I don''t deserve much of your hospitality. I''m the reason you were homeless to begin with." Damien shrugged her words off.


    "But she has a point, thanks nheless." Flint joined the conversation, fighting his urge to ask to tag along.


    "Yes, just as Flint said, thank you nheless." Fou added as well, and respectfully bowed at him. Flint followed, then soon the entirety of Falsar behind them.


    "..."


    "..."


    The couple, Damien and Juliette, felt speechless. One was used to ying solo in his past life, while the other was just a friendly neighborhood girl not too long ago.


    They were new to this.


    "...A¨CAnyway, Fou, do take care okay? You should take care of yourself, your man, your little sister, your parents, and your people. Oh, and my eggs. Pretty please." Juliette said.


    Her words shattered the silence, and cleared out the awkwardness she felt. Fou fixed her posture and smiled her brightest smile. "I will, thank you."


    "Alright then, bye guys. Bye little Fin. Bye everyone." Juliette waved at everyone as she saw Damien turning to leaving.


    "What about me?" The pixie prince inquired, but Juliette stuck out her tongue at it, then waved at the group of pixies behind it. "Bye my cuties. See you all soon~"


    " " BYE BYE~ " "


    " " TAKE CARE~ " "


    " " DON''T COME BACK~ " "


    "..."


    Juliette tried her best to ignore their words of farewell and skipped towards Damien. "How are we going to leave this ce?" And asked.


    "Simple. There''s an entrance out." And he responded, surprising her a bit. ''There''s is? Wait, they seriously is?''

 Chapter 112 Raikiri Divine Beast I

    ?Within a peaceful mountain range, where the peaceful summer breeze blew down the mountain slope, like a gentle sigh from the world.


    The sky was clear and blue, the sun showing off its presence as usual, and the asional sight of small animals moving from here to there.


    The world seemed calm. This mountain range was peaceful. The atmosphere was perfect. Unfortunately, peace neversts.


    Boom~!!


    An explosion destroyed every aspect mentioned above, the peaceful mountains, the peaceful summer breeze, the clear skies...


    Gone in just the blink of an eye.


    And the reason for that, was the ongoing battle between a beauty cloaked in almost all ck, and a group ofpletely cloaked purple furred wolves.


    "..."


    The woman was Esther.


    She paused after using "Chaos Borne" to push back the growing numbers of wolves that were after her.


    The explosion covered quite therge range, destroying anything within a 150 mile range. The generated cloud of dust also grew to temporarily cloak the sky above her.


    "...Grr..."


    "Aw..."


    "..."


    But her opponents were quick quick on their feet. They managed to avoid her attack, and pulled back as fast as they possibly could.


    Yet Esther had already obtained her goal. She hurriedly kicked off the floor, and ran ahead as fast as she could, transforming into a blur to the eyes of anyone watching.


    "Awooo!!"


    "Awooo!!"


    The wolves saw her escape, and took off after her. All of them achieving monstrous level of speeds, as they transformed into literal bolts of lightning, shooting off ahead.


    ''This again... It''s as if they are genuinely bing lightning, and running as fast as it can strike.'' She thought, increasing her speed as well.


    The chase of cat and mouse began once more, the wolves running behind Esther''s tail, yet never catching up to her.


    Meanwhile above a tall mountain far from the battle, two people wearing gray cloaks stood unbothered, watching the chase take ce.


    "Miss Esther really is fast. She''s as fast as lightning. If not faster." The shorter one amongst the twomented, who was revealed to be Fiona.


    Her eyes could not follow the pace of the battle, and could only watch streaks of purple lightning chasing after a blur of ck light. It was beautiful, yet iprehensible.


    "Indeed she is." David nodded at Fiona''sment, his cloak hiding away his prideful grin.


    But Fiona could already guess his expression. She thus added, "But as things are, it seems to me that she''ll sooner orter get tired. And these wolves are not getting tired themselves."


    Indeed. The Wolves had higher levels, and thus higher stamina. They would probably catch up to Esther once she got tired. Or so Fiona thought.


    "That might be true, yeah." David said, then his grin grew into a sneer as he added, "But Esther''s my woman. And being my woman, she''s not a force to be looked down upon."


    "..."


    Fiona kept quiet, and decided to ignore him. But her thoughts always ran as usual, ''You really are prideful of your wife, are you not, mister?'' She thought in exasperation.


    She was prideful in herself, butpared to David? She saw herself as being quite humble.


    And as they continued with their little introspections, the situation within the battle abruptly took on a change.


    During the chase, one wolf surpassed the others in terms of speed and ran directly parallel to Esther along the path she took.


    ...!!!


    Esther was surprised by the sudden burst of speed and did her best to increase her own. But she then realized that the wolf running parallel to her, was slowly closing up the gap separating them.


    ''It''s nning a sneak attack?'' She thought, and just as she thought that, the wolf closed up the gap between them, and quicklyunched itself at her.


    "..."


    Regrettably for it, Esther was a peak human above being an assassin. She immediately twisted her footwork and performed a backflip using the gathered momentum to carry her through the air.


    The wolf thus missed its target, and it''s teeth snapped at nothing but air. Esther then carefullynded, facing the wolf''s direction.


    Yet just as shended from her flip, a streak of purple lightning slid across the floor towards her direction, almost snapping off her legs.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Luckily, just as shended, she still allowed the momentum to carry her body backwards as she rolled, avoiding the attack.


    And when yet another streak of lightning flew towards her, she broke her backward roll mid-way, and pushed herself up using her hands, avoiding yet another sure kill attack.


    "..."


    Mid air, she took the time to assess her situation as fast she possibly could.


    After all, everything that urred was too fast, and almost instantaneous. To David and Fiona, it was like dodging three lightning bolts at almost the same time.


    ''The first one missed me, the second and the third as well, now... where are the other two?'' She thought, using one of her Abilities to fluently manipte the wind around her.


    She controlled it to circte around her body, helping her suspend herself within the air.


    She then took the time to better check out the locations of her opponents, and that''s when she saw the remaining two wolves that did not attack her previously.


    ''There you are, but... what are they doing?'' She thought with a small frown on her face.


    From her view, she could see that the two wolves were running around in a circle. They ran so fast, they literally became a ring of purple lightning to her eyes.


    And as if that alone was enough, she saw the other three wolves join the... ritual. She watched as the five of them ran around in a circle.


    ''This... doesn''t ring safe rms. I need to stop them.'' She thought, yet could note up with a situation on how to stop them.


    This could be a trap, she thought. And if that were the case, she would just be throwing her life away for no apparent reason. ''Keep calm.'' She meditated.


    As an assassin, she had control over her emotions and could keep calm. Patience was her greatest virtue.


    "Hm..?" And perhaps because of that calm, she managed to see how the ring of lightning was slowly shrinking into itself the faster the five wolves ran.


    ''Seriously... what are these puppies nning now?'' She thought, expectant at what surprise was there for them now.


    But anything that they were doing, would probably not be as weird as what urred to them a month ago.


    She and her husband suddenly ''blew'' up into something Fiona considered, "pirs of energy".


    ording to her, the energy was like intense Mana, but more... intense. She said that it almost terrified her into fainting, as she could not bear with it..


    But stuck through till the end. And what she saw, was the enhanced beauty of both Esther and David''s looks. Facially and physique-wise.


    Their hair also had a mixture of silver to it, and their eyes had a unique blue spark to them. Not only that, they both felt stronger somehow, as well as having more Mana.


    They considered it a "Metamorphosis", and were waiting for Damien to return, so he could exin it to them properly.


    "...Hopefully, they are not having a "Metamorphosis" of their own, are they?" She thought, increasing her altitude a bit.


    Her senses were beginning to warm her. Especially so, when the ring of lightning finally shrunk into itself, and erupted out into a pir of purple lightning.


    "Mhm. That''s nothing safe alright." She affirmed, pulling away from the battlefield as fast as she possible could.


    And just as she left, the pir of purple lightning dispersed, revealing the figures of a single wolves that was five times the size of the previous wolves.


    "GRR..." It growled, it''s base rivaling that of suppressed thunder before a storm, while it''s eyes sparked with insufferable rage.


    It''s body indirectly discharged purple lightning, before transforming into a lightning beam that left behind its trail, and a thunderous roar that shook the entire mountain range.


    "..."


    "..."


    All the while, Fiona and David had frozen due to shock. They were left speechless by the fact that from beginning to end, not even two minutes had flown by.


    And also by the sudden evolution of the wolves. The air sorounding it had also changed, giving off an untouchable feeling of supremacy.


    "...What''s this?" David frowned. His ego felt threatened by the blooming feeling of supremacy from just ncing at the wolf.


    He also felt disgusted, infuriatingly disgusted, at the feeling of inferiority that was ever so slowly, trying to bloom within his heart. It was uneptable!!


    "..."


    Meanwhile, Fiona was overwhelmed. She was quite prideful, but that was due to royal blood. In front of someone of a higher status or power, she would dete her pride.


    An example was this couple she met. There was no sign of royalty or pride in front of them. One could say that she preferred a position that was much safer for her.


    And right now, "...That wolf''s presence... it''s calling unto me... it''s as if, it''s telling me to... bow... to bow down to it..." She said, her words incoherently put together.

 Chapter 113 Raikiri Divine Beast II

    ?Esther rushed through the mountains, making sure to pull back as far away as possible as she could from the pir of lightning.


    And just when the pir of lightning disappeared, she felt her heart rate suddenly increase.


    From her experience as a professional assassin, she knew that this was her body warning her of great danger. An instinct of survival.


    ...!!!


    But unfortunately for her, this time around, the danger appeared right before she could even assess the level of danger she was in.


    Swoosh~


    BZZT~


    A magnificent pir of purple lightning shed right besides her, as she luckily pushed herself aside when she felt danger, and stopped a few meters away.


    Just as it stopped, a powerful breeze was forcefully summoned, almost pushing her back. ''Such speed...'' She thought in admiration.


    The purple lightning then dispersed, revealing the erged figure of a purple furred wolf.


    ''So it''s you? You''ve grown, quite a bit? Anyhow, where are your pals..?'' She thought, but her senses could not pick up anything.


    ''None? They are not here?'' She thought, being forced to put most of her focus on the current threat, and some of it towards her soroundings.


    The wolf before her then charged up towards her once more, transforming into a pir of purple lightning that illuminated the sorounding in shade of purple.


    "Hmph..!!" Esther scoffed, and used her Abilities in conjunction, summoning a wind storm so powerful, it seemed to have pushed back the mountains all around her.


    And this included the rushing beam of purple lightning. And the moment it paused to reveal its figure, it''s shadow abruptly came alive, and tangled itself all around it.


    "..."


    This action trapped the wolf, and forcefully pinned it down. But Esther was unsatisfied, for she knew more than anyone... how powerful of an opponent she was facing.


    "AWOOO!!!"


    BOOM!!


    The wolf roared, discharging powerful bolts of lightning from its body, that snaked up on the shadows restricting its mobility.


    Some of the lightning discharged, lost control and struck a few mountains here and there, erasing them to nothing but sand and pebbles.


    ''Pulling back, now..!!'' Esther thought, disappearing from the region, and appearing ten thousand miles away, from right under a small tree''s shadow.


    "Haaa~... [Shadow Traversing] can reallye in handy during times like this." She thought, sighing in relief to herself.


    She then turned to face the direction of the battle, and could already feel the currents within the air. "It''sing." She frowned, and indeed as she predicted...


    The purple furred wolf appeared just a second right after she appeared. It''s speed was terrifyingly monstrous.


    But Esther wasn''t slow either. ''Honestly, I could outrun it if I used my Abilities. Unfortunately, can hubby or Fifi (Fiona) take on its speed?'' She frowned.


    The wolf also did not attack. It instead circled around her, watching her every move. While Esther herself, was thinking of a n to perhaps kill it... or escape.


    ''I could try and use [Shadow Traversing] with them. But... I doubt the both of them would be able to drift along the shadows even when I''m leading them.''


    ''That ce... doesn''t sit right with me, let alone them.'' She thought to herself. ''Or perhaps fight it out with it... If I take on my [Tempest Thunder Form], there''s a chance of sess.''


    "GRR..." The wolf snarled, bringing her focus back to itself. And giving it another nce, she was now sure of her choice.


    Death.


    "..."


    And with those thoughts, she reached out to her hair pins, and and pulled them off. Her hair draped down her shoulder like a pristine waterfall.


    Her beauty was always showcased when her hair was let down. And now that she had enhanced beauty, she was absolutely divine.


    "...GRRR..." The wolf subtly pulled back, feeling more threatened by her presence.


    Esther then pointed one needle at it, and her expression slowly lost all emotions. The air around her also changed, bing one with the environment.


    It was as if she was blending into her soroumdings, like a chameleon. The purple furred wolf could barely discern her movements.


    ...!!!


    It''s fur rose in rms and it hurriedly retreated as fast as it could. And by the god''s grace, avoided an almost instantaneous kill shot from Esther.


    "Hm? You dodged that?" She asked, slowly walked towards her hair needle, that stuck the floor, not too far away from where it previously stood.


    She had thrown it as fast as she could, and was sure that the attack was a sure kill. Unfortunately, it was not. "A pity. But no worries... there''s plenty of time."


    She said, her hair slowly breaking apart into elemental particles. The tinum blonde part of her hair transformed into lightning.


    While the silver part transformed into raging winds. Her skin also transformed into a pure lightning body, while her clothes became wind, circting her figure.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Now... let''s dance." She said, her figure resembling an elemental goddess of lightning and winds.


    "..."


    The purple furred wolf, crouched down and prepared itself for a charge. Esther also held her breathe, and cut off her thoughts alongside her emotions.


    Her body was now under the control of her carnival instincts. And the majority of those instincts... was to kill.


    "AWOOO!!!" The purple furred wolf roared out loud, almost shaking the sorounding mountains, signifying the beginning of the battle.


    But just as Esther was about to attack, she froze in shock. Not only her, even the duo watching from afar, was also shocked as well.


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    They were all shocked by the shameless demeanor of the wolf, as it pulled back as fast as it could, without so much as a care of pride.


    Inymen terms, it ran away.


    ...???


    Esther failed to react in time, and by the time she did, it had already covered a vast amount of distance.


    "Hahaha, you seriously let it go?" Her husband voice rang from behind her. And not even a secondter, he crashed heavily onto the ground not far from her.


    Bang!!


    His roughnding creating a small crater. A momentter, a bird made out of mes descended after him, and gentlynded as well.


    "...I was caught off guard." Esther sighed, her gaze still set towards the direction of the purple furred wolf.


    "So, what now? Can you catch up?" David inquired, and she nodded without hesitation. "Yes. Give me a moment."


    Along those words, she burst off into a trail of lightning and wind, leaving behind the duo that just arrived.


    "...I guess we are chasing after her?" Fiona inquired, already transforming into a bird of mes and flying after her.


    Her speed was quite fast as well. David only smiled at her words, and erged his entire physique by a hundred times, bing titanic.


    He then chased after them, covering over a hundred meters with each step.


    Meanwhile, Fiona flew as fast as she could, desperately surveying the environment for any hints or clues of her guards.


    And unfortunately, just like the other times, she found none. ''They could be on their way home by now, telling papa about me missing... no, they wouldn''t dare.''


    ''Papa would have their heads for that.'' She thought. That was also the major reason why she was worried.


    Not because she was lost, but because if word got out that she went missing, those poor guys, and possibly her mentor and ssmates, would all die.


    ''All just because I wanted to go deeper and experience a sense of being free? How stupid can I be?'' She thought, subconsciously increasing her speed.


    It''s been two months since she''s been away from them. And likewise two months since the Gray couple left the Shade Stronghold.


    And during these two months, a lot had happened. Especially during thest month itself.


    Things became too chaotic. The Wolves were growing stronger and faster, with variations appearing now and then.


    The current purple furred wolf was one of them. And many more within the Wolf Valley. In fact, the situation was so chaotic, that even a single wolf could destroy the Stronghold.


    ''Maybe... I should go back home by myself? The situation isn''t looking good for the Shade Stronghold, and I need to let papa know about it.'' She thought to herself.


    Fiona felt conflicted throughout thest month. Many problems were standing heavy on her shoulders, and she did not know which one to solve first.


    Esther, mother Esther, being the caring woman she was, had even offered to help.


    They spent most of their time going through the many regions, searching for any human establishments, whilst taking care of any stray wolves on their way.


    Unfortunately, the situation was only dire for her. Even now, they were in this mess precisely because she took them here.


    ''It was also thest region we were supposed to camp at, before I messed up.'' She sighed to herself, slowly down her speed.


    Up ahead, she could see Esther''s visage. And her Tempest Thunder Form was disabled. ''She killed it? Already?'' She thought, also transforming back into a human as shended.


    "Miss Esther, you''re as fast as ever. That''s amazing." She said, genuinely impressed at how fast Esther was.


    "..."


    Yet no response met her words.

 Chapter 114 Raikiri Divine Beast III

    ?Fiona stood behind Esther, and the view before her was mostly obscured. Especially so, as before Esther, was a vast cliff, that had its own mini domain inside.


    "...Miss Esther?" She lightly called out, carefully walking towards thetter''s direction.


    She was, by now, close to Esther. She treated the former''s personality switch as a sort of disorder, and just brushed it off just like that.


    So she walked fearlessly, and stood beside her, looking down at the cliff in curiosity. Her thoughts moving, ''What''s got her so flustered..? Hm? What''s tha¨C''


    But before she could even finish her thoughts, she froze in stupor at what she saw. And just like Esther, she stood there in a daze, and said nothing.


    "..."


    "..."


    This continued until David, the man of the group arrived as well, and decreased his size back to normal. "...Finally caught up to you women. Why can''t you all just rx a bit, huh?"


    And heined just as he arrived. And not taking their reactions to mind, he casually walked off towards his wife, and stood besides her. "So, what are we¨C"


    And just like the two, he paused in shock. But unlike them, his shock didn''tst long, as it was reced by slight disgust and disdain.


    "...If it isn''t my unfilial son." He said, clicking his tongue in clear annoyance.


    The people below responded simrly, or rather one smiled bitterly at his words. "Hello uncle, long time no see." She said, waving lightly at him.


    While the other, replied without much care. "Don''t worry old man, I also don''t like what I''m looking at." He said, his eyes staring at him.


    "..."


    David kept quiet. He knew that be it verbal fights, or physical fights, he was close to being no match for his son. Even in terms of affection, he still lost.


    The love of his life, cared the same for him, just as she cared for her son. He clearly got no chance of victory.


    And Damien knew that.


    "Auntie, long time no see. Oh wow, you look beautiful as well. So pretty." Meanwhile, Juliette flew towards Esther and striked up a conversation with her.


    "Julie..." Esther called out, her emotionsing back to her face, as tears of joy welled up in her eyes. "It''s been two months, and you look so... beautiful and mature."


    "Hehe, auntie, you jest." Juliette said in embarrassment, a silly smile on her face.


    Esther then gave her a warm hug, and looked down the pit. "Dammy, why don''t youe and give mommy a hu¨C"


    "I''ll pass. Thank you." But his response quite fast, not giving her the chance to act all lovey dovey.


    ''Dammy? So... that''s the person they''ve been talking about all this time?'' Fiona thought while staring ay Damien. ''He''s... really handsome. No, to handsome!!''


    All the while, Damien ignored her presence. He then turned his gaze below him, onto the purple furred wolf corpse that he was standing on.


    "..."


    It was also the thing that Fiona focused more on. Damien and Juliette''s charm aside, that exceeded even that of the Gray couple, she was amazed at how therge wolf died.


    It had been pieced at the stomach by a pyramid-headed pir of earth that rose up from ground. And that was not all. It had also been beheaded.


    Damien currently standing atop its head. He then crouched down, and cut a big wound on its head, digging out five fist sized purple crystallized cores from within.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ You''ve extracted five perfect semi-divine cores from the faux Raikiri Divine Beast ]


    [ You''ve killed a faux Divine Beast. You have obtained 116 804,68 units of Life Essence ]


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ Due to being an entire League and Existential Level lower, your obtained Life Essence has increased by five times. You''ve obtained 584 023,38 units of Life Essence ]


    [ Half has been shared amongst your Bloodline. The remaining half has been shared amongst you and your partner. You have obtained 97 337,84 units of Life Essence ]


    [ Bonus: You''ve obtained one sachet of purified Thunder Dust ]


    "..."


    Damien read through everything, and noted down thest notification. He would ask The Primordial Source what it was scheming for.


    He then waved his hand and took away the corpse of the Raikiri Divine Beast. ''A promising variation. Unfortunately, they had no time to fulfill their true potential.''


    He thought, floating towards his parents and Juliette. Once there, he paused, and set his gaze on Fiona, who likewise returned a gaze of her own.


    "..."


    "..."


    The two stared at each other in silence for a while, until Damien returned his gaze back to his mother. "It seems you''ve all been busy." He said.


    "Not really." Esther replied with a smile, squeezing Juliette with love and affection.


    "..."


    "What about you guys? You got what you wanted?" David inquired, and Damien nodded. "More or less. We have enough to start up our own foundation."


    "That''s great." He nodded, and kept his silence. Damien also kept quiet.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "So, are we going home today? Or are you two still on your honey moon period?" Esther teased, and Juliette couldn''t help but blush at her words.


    "..."


    Fiona as well. Both were still young minds, and were still maturing. Hearing such a topic, and imagining what it was associated with, made them flustered.


    Meanwhile, Damien did not seem much affected. "Mhm. We are done with that, so we''ll be going home to take a rest."


    "...A rest, huh?" Esther mimicked his words after being disappointed at his reaction. But she expected nothing less from her son.


    "By the way, does the Gray House still have connections with the other Strongholds?" He inquired, taking the lead.


    ''Gray House? As in, thee Gray House?! These people are associated with that group of demons?'' Fiona thought, yet not very surprised.


    The Gray couple was more than enough. But she was just never sure, since assuming was never a good sport. ''...After all, my first impression of them was quite... an experience.''


    "...Ah, no. We are banned from establishing any powers in other Strongholds, but we are at least allowed to enter, and even reside within their cities." Esther replied softly.


    "What of it?" David asked, and Damien shrugged his shoulders. "Would have made my job much easier, but, thanks anyway. You''ve helped just as you always do."


    "...But you don''t think we are helpful at all." Esther said.


    "Exactly." And Damien replied.


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    David was not bothered much by his words, but Esther seemed dejected.


    Fiona was even speechless at their interaction. ''Why are you guys acting so normal for? You''re supposed to be demons, aren''t you? So please act like ones... that would make me feel better.''


    Meanwhile Juliette bitterly smiled andforted her supposed mother inw. "There there, auntie. Damien had been saying that he misse¨C"


    "I would never." But Damien corrected her before she could evenpletely form her words, leaving her dejected as well.


    "...I wonder why you even have a woman." David finally thought out loud. "Same reason as you have mom... And I don''t wanna know it." And Damien replied as such.


    The group then walked for a while more, bickering and ying around.


    "..."


    But throughout the process, Fiona felt out of ce, and just walked casually behind them, so as to not destroy their perfect atmosphere.


    Especially so, when in terms of looks, she was now the one on the lowest radar. And while everyone of them had almost simr racial characteristics, she... had none.


    They had two colors mixed within their hair, while she hadpletely red hair. And that was the biggest give away. ''I''m like a cockroach within a pile of diamonds.''


    She thought bitterly. And just like that, without wasting much of their time, everyone flew at full speed and returned back towards the Stronghold.


    With how fast they were flying, they arrived in just a couple of minutes, and were almost not allowed any entry.


    And of course, since they looked almost different from their previous standards, there were slight problems that almost arose.


    It became worse when Fiona had no identification cards, and wore a dress that clearly of a different culture than their own.


    "Like I said, you all look different from these identifications cards. I can''t let you in." The young guardsmen said, being quite stubborn.


    "...Look here kid, how about we make you dea¨C"


    "We don''t do corruption here!!"


    "..."


    David was shut before he could even finish his statement. The young guard was quite stubborn with his standpoint.


    "What now? Do we kill him?" Esther inquired, and both David and Damien replied at the exact same time, "No."


    "Oh?" Was her response.


    ''...Is this how murderers deal with problems?'' Fiona thought, wondering if her reputation was safe with these guys.


    "...At times like these, I wish I hadpetent parents." Damien said all of a sudden, starting another verbal warfare with his father.


    Meanwhile, Juliette took matters into her own hands and struck up a conversation with the young guard. "Uhm, hi, hello. Nice to meet you, I''m Juliette, and you?"


    She gave him a gentle smile, that almost took his breathe away, and stretched out her hand to him. He froze and swallowed his saliva, not knowing what to do, nor say.


    ''A, a goddess?'' He thought, and clumsily held her hand for a proper greeting. "A-Audrey, nice to meet, you." He said, forcing each word out. ''Sooooofftt!!!'' He thought.


    ''Well... this seems easy enough.'' Juliette thought in joy, making her smile even more dazzling. And by then, the guard''s defenses all melted down.


    There was no resistance, and Juliette made him make new identity cards for them, while they discarded the old ones. Even Fiona obtained one as a "family friend".


    Meanwhile, Juliette took matters into her own hands and struck up a conversation with the young guard.

 Chapter 115 A Resolute Will

    ?Meanwhile, Juliette took matters into her own hands and struck up a conversation with the young guard. "Uhm, hi, hello. Nice to meet you, I''m Juliette, and you?"


    She gave him a gentle smile, one that almost took his breathe away, and stretched out her hand to him. He froze and swallowed his saliva, not knowing what to do, nor say.


    ''A, a goddess?'' He thought, and clumsily held her hand for a proper greeting. "A-Audrey, nice to meet, you." He promptly greeted, forcing each word out. ''Sooooofftt!!!'' He thought.


    ''Well... this seems easy enough.'' Juliette thought in joy, making her smile even more dazzling. And by then, the guard''s defenses all melted down.


    There was no resistance, and Juliette made him make new identity cards for them, while they discarded the old ones. Even Fiona obtained one as a "family friend".


    ~~~


    The Adam''s Territory


    Adonis'' Mansion


    With the peaceful morning of the day, along the amazing songs from nature, a young man stood within the training grounds... swinging his wooden sword relentlessly.


    "...Ha..!! Ha..!! Ha..!!.." He swung his sword amidst heavy breathes and a blurry vision. He felt dead, yet he still swung nheless.


    He had been doing this for over an hour now. And the motion of swinging was mechanical to him at this point.


    Yet he still did it. Each and every day, for the past two months, he did this self training to perfect his swordsmanship to new heights.


    "Ha..!!"


    Everyday, after experiencing two hours of being abused and beat up by Sixth, he would rest for a while, and do this practice by himself.


    "Ha..!!"


    At first, it was quite hard, and took only a minute or two before he fell back down and copsed. Only to wake up within his room.


    But the more the days went by, the longer his self training arcsted. From a minute to now almost two hours.


    "Ha..!!"


    And his hard work and effort was seen by his maids, butlers and other servants. For two months, they saw him train from 6am everyday.


    And seeing himst longer each day, made them root for him, and praise him. Especially so, when his servants were normally poor people who had no jobs and were given a chance by his grace.


    Their feelings towards him were immensely positive. And they felt happy at his progress.


    "Ha..!!"


    And today, was the day he would break through the two hour limit, and reach newer heights of his self attainment process.


    Almost everyone was secretly watching while working, their breathes confined in anticipation. They knew that what he was doing was too much for his body, yet he continued.


    Regrettably, they were unaware that this had nothing to do with his weak body, but the gruesome mounding he believed only veteran warriors could do.


    Yet even after two hours of all of that, today, young Adison wanted to do another two hours of his own self training, where he mixed up repeated swings of all basic sword motions.


    "Ha..!!"


    It was like imprinting every basic sword form and motion to his body and mind. And the longer he did this, the more he felt like he was developing an instinctive response.


    It was quite surreal, but true. He was able to block more attacks from Sixth through instincts alone... sometimes obtaining a hint of praise.


    It showed his progress, and made him want to do even more practice and self reflection.


    ''Not!! Only!! That..!!''


    This training also built up core strength within him, and also discipline. He was capable of reigning in himself more, the more he reigned over his sword.


    It felt like whatever he does unto the sword, was whatever it would also do, unto him. A quote from Sixth that made him treat his sword as his only heart.


    "H¨C..HA!!"


    He swung his sword down, and to his surprise, felt light and airy, like a feather floating in the air.


    And saw his body falling after the sword. The floor getting closer and closer to his face. ''...huh? Am I losing consciousness again..? Did I seed?''


    He thought, and before he could register that thought correctly, he was engulfed by darkness. Cold and dreary endless darkness.


    ''Ah... Seems I''ve gone down yet again...'' Those thoughts closed the training session... And the next time he opened his eyes, he found himself back at his room.


    ''Again... I''m within my room... again.'' He thought, letting his eyes adjust to the light of the room. ''And how long have I been out today?''<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He sat up at those thoughts, and like almost everyday, saw Sixth standing near his window.


    "..."


    The man was watching the garden below, while the sunlight illuminated his visage. ''...How handsome. Argh, what am I thinking? I should probably greet him.''


    "Uhm, greetings senior." He said, since he was told multiple times that he was not a student. ''Apparently, I can''t call him teacher or master either.'' He thought bitterly.


    "Hm, you are up." Sixth said, and turned towards his direction. "Get ready. Today we are expecting a special guest over."


    He then left the room just like that. ''Special guest? Who could be consider a special guest? Perhaps a higher ranked member?'' Adonis thought as he stood up.


    ''Tsh..!!'' And his face contorted slightly in pain. ''Ah, I can still feel the pain on my lower ribs... Maybe I overdid it?'' He thought, calling in a maid to help him prepare himself.


    After ten minutes, he was done and was led towards his own study by Ninth. ''I wonder which member I''ll be meeting now. Could it be the leader?'' And his will continously wavered.


    Ninth then arrived before the study and gently knocked on it. And after waiting for a while, a reply came after. "Enter."


    ''Enter..? I''m being told to enter within my own study. How ironic.'' He thought with a bitter smile, watching Ninth open the door, leading him inside.


    "..."


    Once in, Adonis saw Sixth leaning close to the bookshelf as usual. But what took his focus, was the back of a man who had a head full of silver and tinum blonde hair.


    ''tinum blonde plus silver hair? Thats strange. Is he a mixed breed from the Greend Stronghold and our Shade Stronghold?'' He thought in curiosity.


    Each Stronghold was derived from different races that used to reside on earth. And under the evolution and mutation, they all differed one way or another.


    And the best, most simplistic way to differentiate them, was through hair colors. The Shade being tinum blonde hair, and the forementioned Greend having silver hair.


    ''Hm..? He didn''t sit at my position? At least he''s respecting me... I''m thankful. Really.'' He further thought, sitting down at his chair, facing the said target.


    "..."


    And when he looked up at the man, he froze, and left his mouth hanging agar. ''...What''s with this level of beauty..? Its like, I''m looking at a painting.''


    Adonis couldn''t help his thoughts, and stared a bit too long. The man also stared back at him, his blue eyes, that each seemed to be of varying level of blue, being stern.


    "Once you''re done staring, let me know so we can start business." He said, his voice seemingly carrying the essence of masculinity within.


    "Huh..? Eh..? S¨CSorry!! Please forgive me!!" Adonis got back his senses and hurriedly bowed his head in shame. ''How could I stare at a men like that for so long..?! It''s unbefitting of me!!''


    "Don''t worry. Just collect yourself before we start." The man said, his words subconsciously calming down Adonis without him knowing.


    "Th¨CThank you... whoo~... I am calm now. Pardon my rudeness." He said after a moment of collecting himself.


    "Alright. Then shall we start?" The man said, fixing his posture. Adonis nodded, and the man continued, "For starters, my name is Damien Gray, son of Esther Gray, and pride of David Gray."


    "..."


    Adonis froze once more, this time, straight to the bone. ''Wh¨CWhat..? D¨CDamien? The next in line at leading the entire Gray House?! My gawd!!''


    "It''s alright, take your time. We have all day."


    "Th¨CThank you sir." Adonis felt his nerves loosen up at those words, but he still failed to calm down even then.


    "..."


    The process took a while longer, and Adonis was almost calm. But just then, he heard a sweet, albeit nervous voice besides the man.


    "Uhm, just in case you''ll be shocked again... my name is Fiona Vermillion, sessor of the Romanian Stronghold west of this one. Pleasure to meet you."


    Adonis paused and turned to her direction, finding a red-haired beautiful girl younger than him, slightly nodding at him as greeting.


    She was beautiful, one of the rarest he has ever seen. Yet even then, such a beautiful girl was overshadowed by the beauty of another... A man to boot.


    ''I don''t know how to feel about this, but... couldn''t you guys surprise me all at once?'' He sighed to himself, and took a few seconds to settle himself.


    "Pleasure is mine, miss Vermillion. And, Pleasure meeting you too, sir Damien." He said, nodding at both of them as greeting.


    "So is it mine, young lord." Damien said, and Fiona did not say anything else, either than a nod of acknowledgement.


    ''Young lord..? I''m ttered.'' Adonis thought, trying his best not to let the term get to him. After all, he still believed that he was standing before the biggest fish within the Gray House.

 Chapter 116 A Domain..?

    ?''But... I never knew that the Vermillion household were members of the Gray House. Or at most, rtively close to them.'' He thought.


    ''I had thought that all powers ruling over each Stronghold agreed to not entertain the Gray House... But, here I am, being one of them. Let me not judge. Hm? Perhaps she''s like me?''


    His eyes widened in realization, as he sat his eyes on her once more. A hint of pity hidden within. ''Stay strongrade... hang in there.''


    "Alright then, since you''re calm, how about we start up on our matters? First, my reason as to why I''ve had my seniors tail you around." Damien continued.


    Both Fiona and Adonis held their breathes, each carrying individual thoughts pertaining those words. But Damien didn''t seem to care much.


    "Adonis Adams, Fiona Vermillion... royal children of two of humanity''s twelve Strongholds. How would you both feel about participating within a small project of mine?"


    "Project?" Both Fiona and Adonis blurted out in surprise at his words.


    Even Sixth and Ninth were curious about this. Their missions details never specified what their target was for, and were bent on knowing.


    "Yes, a small project. None rted to the Gray House, nor the Council of Elders. Just a game of mine." Damien said, and the two royalties briefly exchanged gazes.


    "I''m sorry for my rudeness, sir Damien, but is it possible to know the details of this project, we might be participating in?" Fiona inquired.


    "Mhm, I don''t mind." Damien said, and all four beings in the room held their breathes. Then he added, "For starters, we''ll term it, the "King''s Project" for now."


    "This is a project I''m supporting, where I''ll be choosing a candidate within each Stronghold, and nurse them through the process of king hood."


    "Resources, strength, influence and even information can be freely obtained, as long as your progress is noteworthy and satisfying."


    "...As for what you have to do? It''s simple, really. All I need from you, is management, leadership and devotion." He said, and added sternly. "Absolute devotion to the sess and proliferation of humanity."


    "..."


    "..."


    Everyone within the room was shocked speechless. Each one had differentprehension of the given information, thus exining their varied levels of shock.


    Sixth and Ninth were briefly shocked, as they knew of the mes of ambition running within the Gray House, let alone the more arrogant Gray family.


    Meanwhile, Fiona was also shocked at how the son of two devils would actually think so far ahead... all for the sake of humanity? Not even her father was thatpassionate.


    And as for Adonis? The young man was almost having a mental breakdown. ''I... I went through so much depression, bottling up all my frustrations just for this..?! No, wait. Shouldn''t I be happy?''


    ''At least I''m not going to be... Ah, no. I''m still going to be a pawn. And most importantly, why? Why would someone who has so much power want to do this? What''s his aim?'' He thought.


    And his thoughts perfectly illustrated his current mental state. Quite heavily chaotic.


    "My aims are simple. No need to overthink them." Damien said, catching everyone''s attention, as if it was also what they wanted to know.


    "I''m not helping humanity just because I want to. Or because I want praise. No. I''m doing this for myself, my woman, my family, basically, for my entire generation."


    "This includes, and not limited to, the Gray House... Having twelve kings under me, would make living more peaceful for us. Especially in this age, where we of the Gray House, are no longer considered ''superhumans'' no more."


    "I''ll have to adapt, to give us back the authority we once had over humanity, so that nobody ever messes with us... In simple terms, yes, you''re pawns. But pawns that work under a few, while ruling over billions of others."


    He said, leaving the roompletely speechless. He then added, "But I know how pride can be. So this is a chance to be made by you, and only you."


    "If you decide to pull out, and want to have authority over everyone, including us... give it a try. We won''t kill you. At least, not here, not now."


    "The decision is ultimately yours, and I can give you however much time you want to think it over... So, what would it be? You need more time?" He concluded with an inquiry.


    "..."


    "..."


    Yet the two targeted audience were still speechless. They were speechless by the brutal honesty that Damien just blurted out. He didn''t even try to hide it at all.


    He was using them!!


    Meanwhile, Sixth and Ninth sighed bitterly. ''He''s still as selfish as ever when ites to outsiders.'' Thought the former.


    ''Still as inconsiderate as master.'' Were thetter''s thoughts.


    While both Adonis and Fiona kept quiet and thought about his words. Did they need time to rethink this? Was their first thoughts.


    "Uhm, if possible, I''d like more time to rethink this please." Fiona said, and Damien nodded at her. Then awaited Adonis'' response.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "..."


    And the young man first took a deep breathe to calm himself. Sixth and Ninth also awaited his response as well.


    "...I agree." He said, decisively, afraid if he stalled any longer, he would disagree. Both Sixth and Ninth were promptly surprised by his response.


    They both knew that Adonis disliked his new circumstances, and could mostly guess his thoughts as well. Yet his response said otherwise.


    On the other side, Damien understood very well why the young man readily agreed. "Alright then, let''s hear why you agreed to my selfish reasons."


    "Its simple. I want power. I want authority. I want a support. And I can obtain all of them from just bing your pawn." He took a deep breathe of air, and added, "I don''t mind being the pawn of someone who cares about his loved ones, and has a zing ambition like myself."


    "And to finalize it, I see nothing wrong with your selfish desires. I, for one, am also selfish as well. I can''t judge you for that." He said, holding his breathe, nervous in anticipation.


    "...And because you believe that a man who can do so much for his loved ones, would cherish his pawns, am I wrong?" Damien added, making Adonis blush in embarrassment.


    "You''re not wrong though. The Gray House is an example." He added, and Sixth immediately retorted. "Junior brother, we are not your pawns."


    "Nobody said that." Damiem replied.


    "No, you just did."


    "Alright then, I apologize."


    "I don''t want your empty apologies."


    "Anyway, let''s get down to business, young lord." Damien gave Sixth no attention, and Sixth sighed to himself. ''...Those types of maniptive behaviors won''t work on me anymore.'' He added in his thoughts.


    "Y¨CYeah. Please..." Adonis said, seeing a new side of Sixth. Or rather, of the rtionship within the Gray House. ''They are more like... siblings.''


    "First, let''s test the waters." Damien said, waving his hand and transferring everyone within a new environment, where there was nothing but emptiness everywhere.


    ...!!!


    He then used Mana to coat their bodies, and protecting them from the sorounding Void.


    The amount of Mana protecting each person was something not even Demigods would imagine, as it was a trillion units at base.


    ''This... What''s this ce?'' Adonis thought, as everyone floated in shock, looking everywhere around them with curiosity.


    "Don''t mind the environment. This ce hasn''t been given a foundation, but if I''m satisfied with your responses... this entire domain might be yours." Damien added.


    "Domain?"


    "Mhm. It''s a different space irrelevant of the space-time continuum of our Reality. Reality... being the total collection of all universes, multiverses, dimensions and nes."


    "But that is a topic for another day. Today, what''s important is the definition of a Realm." Damirn said, catching everyone''s attention.


    "You can take it as a weapon of sorts though, where it can be forged by its master. The intricacies inside can also be made to your liking and your preferences."


    "For example..." He waved his hand, and the sorounding emptiness warped itself, bing as iprehensible as a blurred out watermark painting.


    Yet it was still beautiful.


    So beautiful that, they could only marvel as the sorounding continued to change, the sorounding void being reced by serene mountains, verdant trees and pristine waterfalls.


    ''Woah..!!''


    They continued to marvel as the new soroundings warped into a more technological settlement like the modern age. Tall buildings, motor cars, airnes and many more.


    Then it changed into the void again, yet full of tall dragon-like warships, strange disk-like UFOs, and giant mechs.


    "..."


    And ultimately, it shifted back to the area of nothingness. "See? A domain master can easily change a domain to their liking, and rule supreme within its influence."


    "And... it can all belong to you." Damien concluded, and both the young royalties held their breathes in shock and bewilderment.


    Fiona questioned her judgement, but was still afraid of making wrong decisions that might negatively affect her father and his lineage.


    While Adonis hurriedly lowered his head as he dered...

 Chapter 117 First Pawn

    ?Adonis hurriedly lowered his head as he dered. "I am willing to answer each and every question you desire from me with full honesty. So please, ask right away!!"


    He said, still under the intoxication of adrenalin that he felt when he saw all that Damien showed him right now. That power, that demeanor, that authority... he desired it!!


    "Alright, calm down. First..." Damien waved his hand and a small pile of gold, silver and bronze coins appeared, and floated before him, shocking everyone once more.


    Including the members of the Gray House. ''Hey, junior brother, who did you rob? Which Stronghold was so unfortunate?'' Sixth thought.


    "..."


    Adonis was left speechless as well. The small pile of coins was almost ad tall as him!! It made him guess that they would be at most 300 000 coins in total.


    But Damien did not mind their shock. "This is approximately one hundred thousand gold coins. If I were to give them to you, what would do with them?"


    "Remember, you''re supposed to be a lord, and should use it wisely. For the humans, and for your Stronghold... What would it have been your next step?" He inquired.


    And Adonis paused briefly, thinking hard on the question. Fiona was also thinking about the question, and what her response would be.


    Meanwhile, both Sixth and Ninth were partially interested at the answer as well.


    Fortunately, Adonis did not waste much of their time. "A hundred thousand gold coins, right? I am not sure if this would be feasible, but... with our current circumstances, I''d create an institution that helps everyone understand our current circumstances."


    "...With how things are, I think chaos is bound to arise due to the overabundance of powerful people. And our authority might be challenged. But that might not be feasible..."


    He paused, and rethought his words. Damien not rushing him and just patiently waiting. Fiona also had a bit of trouble thinking about a solution as well.


    "..."


    The silence went on for over a few minutes, and both candidates were sweating buckets due to the pressure.


    ''...no, there''s no way I''m going to be able to do something like that... it''s practically unfeasible...'' Adonis thought in despair.


    A hundred thousand gold coins were lot, even as royalty around here.


    After all, his monthly wage was only 50 gold coins, and even if he saved up all his life, he still wouldn''t have that much amount.


    But despite that, it was useless if it had no better purpose at all. Damien also saw through the difficulty of his question, and added a handicap for them.


    "Let''s say, you have a group of experienced supernatural beings who know of the world, as possible work load for you." He said.


    And a light bulb suddenly clicked in Adonis'' mind. "Then, is it possible to im that within the group of supernatural beings, some of them exceed our current limits of power?" He asked.


    "Indeed, it''s possible." Damien nodded, and this time, Fiona was the one who inquired. "Then are these people loyal to us? Or presumably, to you?"


    "Being loyal to me, means that they would listen to you. Or rather... they wouldn''t make things hard on you people."


    "I see... then that makes things more easier. In that case, my n of creating an institute would be possible." Adonis said, slightly getting excited, then he exined;


    "If we build an institution that teaches us how how to properly harness our powers, that would be great. These supernatural beings would help, if possible, to teach and guide us."


    "This way, we could restrain the hard-headed guys, as their loved ones and families would be relying on this new system of ours. They wouldn''t dare revolt."


    "We could also use this to build connections with the other Strongholds, building institutes within their home grounds as well. Banding us together." He concluded.


    His eyes were shining with ambition, almost zing into blinding mes. Fiona also added, half as excited. "That''s a splendid idea. If possible, we could also use it to build special forces that would fight for us."


    "After all, from my statistics, there are various kinds of sses, and so far, 70% of them are just auxiliary sses. Examples are "chef", "farmer", "lumberjack" and many such sses."


    "If we use these assets, and possibly, the resources sir Damien mentioned, it wouldn''t be impossible to support legions of superhumans." She also concluded, and Adonis heavily nodded.


    "I had not thought of that. That''s amazing, no doubt." He said, forgetting the presence of Damien and his seniors from the Gray House.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Until a moment when he remembered the purpose of this whole conversation. "Ah, sir Damien, I''m really sorry. It seems we got ahead of ourselves." He said, embarrassed.


    "Our apologies." Fiona added in embarrassment as well.


    "I don''t mind it much. Now are you done discussing?" Damien responded lightly, and the duo nodded their heads. ''He seems cool headed and calm.'' Adonis thought.


    "Now for the second question, in a warfare, where humanity is going against a powerful army than themselves. What would..."


    The question and answer process continued, and both Adonis and Fiona answered together. Most times helping each other brainstorm when the other was stuck.


    She didn''t even realize herself that she was participating in the process, and just did her best to bring out her inputs and solutions.


    Half an hourter, Damien nodded in satisfaction at the responses he obtained. While Sixth and Ninth were also impressed, and had their views broadened.


    Especially so, as they were both professional killers, and not the types to do management and military tactics. Hence why they also benefited from this.


    ''Well... from my previous timeline, both of them had superb military and kingdom management feats. I''m not surprised.'' Damien thought, as his choices were never made without base.


    "Alright, that settles it." He concluded the matter, and Adonis looked up at him, "Then does that mean we..?" His eyes brimmed with expectations.


    "Mhm. You''re qualified to be a King candidate for this Stronghold. And for that, my initial pack of support would be this..." Damien gave a nod of affirmation, and presented a small pouch to him.


    "This is a Tier 3 storage pouch. It has quite a vast space of storage, and has many resources within. Within the nexting month, use them wisely and make a name for yourself."


    "There are definitions for each resource within, so this will be my farewell. Oh, and these two seniors of mine, are considered a part of your resources. Use them wisely."


    He said, and stood up to leave. Fiona hurriedly following after him. "Farewell, lord Adonis. Hope we meet again soon." She left after that.


    She was impressed by their discussions, and felt a bit closer to him than before. Especially when they could both rte as royalties, and... possible future King candidates.


    But throughout this, one person was frozen due to shock. "...Huh?" Sixth blurted out after a moment of silence, failing to understand his circumstances.


    "Junior brother said that¨C"


    "I heard what he said." He cut off Ninth''s words with his own, his tone full of frustration. He then frowned and looked up at Adonis. "Do you dare use me, young future king?"


    He asked, hisst set of words beingced with ill intentions and killing intent. Adonis felt his soul tremble and hurriedly shook his head with might.


    ''Sir Damien... this... this isn''t a good resource.'' He thought, not thinking much on the fact that Damien left him two assassins of the Gray House.


    He then sent his will into the Tier 3 storage pouch, and he felt his consciousness expand greatly. ''Wha...What''s this?!'' He thought in stupor.


    His consciousness expanded so much that, he felt like he could store his entire mansion within. But that was just his will entering the storage pouch.


    ''Calm down... you''ve been within a vaster, and more beautiful ce.'' He calmed himself down, and assessed the resources given to him.


    The first was a bright spark of light, that transformed the whole storage space into a sea of golden light. It was located at the center of everything, forcing every other resource to circte it.


    ''Is that... the Domain sir Damien mentioned? It''s spectacr even as an outer shell...'' He thought, marveling at the pure wonder before him.


    The second resource were approximately a thousand golden stones, glowing like starlight within this space.


    Next to them, were a hundred golden-white crystals, and ten mirror-like orbs containing a golden glow within. They all exuded the same presence, thetter being more potent than the former.


    ''I''m not sure what those are... ording to their definitions, they are Mana Stones, Mana Crystals and Mana Cores... wait, is this Mana rted to the Mana flowing within me?'' He thought.


    ''I''m not sure, but the definition states so. Then... what can I do with these things? Absorb them? Or do they have more peculiar uses..?'' His thoughts continued on.


    Until he gave up, and moved on to the next resource. This one was a a bundle of a hundred and fifty purple stones, glowing with resplendency.

 Chapter 118 I Promise!!

    ?From their definition, they were known as Cryz Stones, and could help fuse and elevate skills. ''I already have Ability Points. I wonder why sir Damien gave this to me.''


    He thought in curiosity, then moved on to the secondst resource, which so happened to be a small barrel. It''s size was around waist level, and was even thicker than him in width.


    ''Barrel of faith..? Something that can help a mortal attain godhood? Wait, gods really exist? No, more importantly, I can actually be a god?'' Adonis thought in excitement.


    From reading legends and myth, none of the third generation did not dream of being a god. Especially when they were some second generational humans revered as gods.


    An example was the diator god, Mr Gray, or the goddess of death, Mrs Gray. Heck even their son was revered as a god prodigy.


    He himself was no exception. And now, maybe that dream coulde to reality, but... as what? What god would he be? He entertained the idea for a while.


    And finally, onto thest resource, which was just an old, ancient-like brown page, floating within the golden cloaked void.


    The paper had a depiction of a sword on it, and nothing else. ''...The Legendary ss Inheritance of the Avalonian Knights? Wait, a Legendary ss Inheritance?!''


    He eximed, almost jumping up in fright. ''Where did sir Damien get such a high leveled treasure from?'' He was a bit perplexed.


    ''Ah, but I already have a Hidden ss, so it''s useless. I bet even he didn''t know that.'' He chuckled, and ended his inspection.


    But his thoughts still ran wild, and could not seem to stop for a while. And by the time he calmed down, his will retreated back to his study.


    "So, what did junior brother give you?" Sixth sat down, and inquired. He had his hands crossed before his chest, and his attitude all the same.


    He wouldn''t change just because Damien said so. Plus, he didn''t directly tell him to be obedient either, which made listening to Adonis''mands non-obligatory.


    "Ah, uhm, there a few resources, including the Domain that he promised." Adonis replied, still a bit awkward about his new position.


    "Is that so? Then what are you waiting for? Why not create your own Domain right now?" Sixth scoffed and inquired.


    "About that... I''m still thinking of an environment suitable for me. I''m still not sure what to base it on at the moment. So I''ll postpone." He replied bitterly.


    He wanted to create a perfect domain for himself. One that would stand out amongst all twelve kings of humanity. One that would make him stand out amongst his peers!!


    "Is that so... Anyway, what''s your n from now on?"


    "Uhm, Well..."


    "Come on, spit it out. Why do you think I''m here in the first ce? Or what, did you truly believe that Damien left us here for you to boss around? Don''t think too highly of yourself, kid." Sixth sternly worded out each word.


    They were cold and ruthless, but what the young lord wanted to hear at the moment.


    "..."


    Adonis froze, and it clicked to him. ''Yeah, just because I was chosen as a King candidate, doesn''t mean I''m highly valued. At most,pared to these two, I''m still just a pawn.''


    "I''m sorry, forgive me rudeness." He said, lowering his head slightly. "And about your question, I have an initial idea of what my n would be."


    "Oh? Do tell. I''m listening."


    "It''s notplicated." Adonis said, clearing his table andying down arge piece of parchment on it. He then began writing down words on it.


    ''I''ve always been thinking about being a king, but never acting like one. Miss Fiona has proven that this to me, first hand.'' He thought to himself.


    "Here, is a list of some of the auxiliary type sses that miss Fiona has researched. Unfortunately, she didnt have much time, so we''ll just deal with this for now."


    "In the meantime, sorry to ask this of youdy Nine, but would it be possible to obtain more information on this matter?" He turned to Ninth and inquired.


    The youngdy herself first thought about it for a while and subtly nodded her head. "It''s possible. But, time. I need time." She softly added.


    "No problem, you can spend however much time you desire. Thank you." He said, then focused back on the parchment and Sixth. "As for now, let''s deal with these sixteen."


    On the sides, Ninth blended into the darkness and vanished out of the room. ''He''s finally gaining control of his situation... maybe senior isn''t being too harsh on him?'' She thought.


    Meanwhile, the conversation continued between the two men.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "So far, the auxiliary sses we have are as follows; "Miller", "cksmiths", "Stonemason", "Weaver", "Minstrel", "Carpenter", "Watchman", "Shoemaker", "Baker", "Farmer", "Fisherman", "Barrister", "Candlemaker" and "Artists" forst."


    "These are actually simple sses. There could be ounted for, by simply expanding the cities, where more job opportunities would spread out. Hence a higher chance for them to level up."


    "Or by simple creating my domain. If I create it into a Stronghold like this one, a lot of people could move in, and start up another civilization there."


    The young Adonis spoke with fervor, and Sixth, who stood up to watch him draw up on the parchment, nodded from time to time.


    "I see your n. But what of the unounted unique auxry sses little missy fire head mentioned? Like the alchemists." He inquired, and Adonis responded.


    "Oh, those? They will..."


    The two man continued their conversation throughout the night, while getting closer to one another in terms of nning and management... in simple terms, work.


    Well, Adonis got closer to Sixth, while Sixth still treated him rtively the same as before.


    A prime example would be the next morning, when training was as gruesome and grueling as ever. No hands bared. No mercy spared.


    Every sword swung was still as intimidating and pressurizing as a charging healthy bull. Every one of Sixth''s movements were still illusory and silent.


    And the baths of killing intent were never left out. In fact, they were the worst part of this whole training session.


    KANG~


    Adonis tried his best to defend himself, but the moment the two swords shed, he was thrown away like a leaf within an autumn breeze.


    "Ugh..!!" But due to having experienced this a million times by now, he instead used the gathered moment to roll backwards, and hurriedly got up on his feet.


    "Good job." Sixth said, rushing over for yet another confrontation. And Adonis braced himself for more damage.


    ''I... really don''t like this resource... sir Damien.'' Thought Adonis in dejection. The training went on regardless of his feelings.


    And at some point, he copsed down due to extreme exhaustion. At the same time, today''s training with Sixth was over.


    "Not bad. Pick yourself up and continue by yourself. There''s a new change of schedule from today onwards." Sixth said, snd added, "Everyday by evening, we''ll have simr discussions to yesterday."


    "...Yes, sir."


    "Good. I''ll be out if you need me." And with that, he vanished, leaving behind the almost breathless Adonis lying on the ground.


    He then sat up, and briefly nced at his hands. ''I''ve... changed.'' He thought, as they looked quite bruised up, and no longer soft.


    He began realizing changes to the current him,pared to two months ago, after yesterday''s urrence.


    Back then, he always felt no change. But now that even the god prodigy himself saw some value in him, meant that all his efforts were paying up. ''And I''m still... growing.''


    He looked up with a bright smile. I''ve did it. His eyes almost tearing up at all the hardwork and pain he''d that was resurfacing. I''ve be something.


    ''But... this is just the beginning. I''ve only had one day, and I still have plenty more. So...'' He wiped away the tears on his face, and stood up. ''...I''ll perfect my ns during this given month.''


    ''I''ll now start focusing on my people, and my goals in rtion to them... After all¨C'' He let out a bright smile, looking up at the morning sun, ''¨CThere''s no king, without a kingdom.''


    With that, he went down once more, and began on his own self training. First on the agenda, being a hundred push ups, his form strict and almost perfect.


    He''s done it for over sixty days after all. ''I''ll be king, I swear. I''ll reach the top, I swear. I''ll be unique, I swear.'' He chanted, his ambition growing with every sentence.


    At some point, he even had a smile creep up on his face. A smile that dared the world to look down on him, a smile that shone of pure ambition.


    ''Mr Sixth,dy Nine, Alison, mother, big sister Adriana, father, and now sir Damien... I won''t let any of you down. That... I promise!!''


    And the young ambitious prince of the Adams household, started off his day with his ever rising ambition. One that showed no bounds of retreating.

 Chapter 119 The Romanian Stronghold

    ?The very same day that Adonis made his conviction to achieve his goals, two beings stood afloat tens of miles above ground.


    One was a young man with silver and tinum blonde mixed within his hair. His visage was godly, and his beauty beyond normal scales. He was Damien Gray.


    The other was a bird made up of nothing but pure me particles, which slowly pulled at the Affinity of Fire to strengthen themselves. Fiona''s Phoenix form.


    The two stood there, and watched as Adonis began his self training. Damienmenting after a while, "As expected. The young prince of ambition didn''t disappoint me."


    "Prince of ambition?" Fiona inquired from the sidelines, looking down at Adonis with a hint of curiosity. What a suiting title, she thought.


    "Yes. The boy born with boundless ambition for unforseen heights. Heights that may seem illusory to the current him." He responded, then stretched out his arm.


    "Rest. You''ve been staying up here with me for hours now." He added, his hand acting as a branch of sorts, where a bird couldnd for rest.


    "..."


    Fiona nced at it for a while, and with a blush of embarrassment,nded gently on his arm. "Thank you." She whispered, barely audible.


    "Pleasure." Damien said, and then kept quiet for a while. Until Fiona asked, "Sir Damien, may I... ask something of you? If you don''t mind."


    "Just Damien, is enough."


    "Oh, okay then, Damien... is it possible for your influence to reach up to the Romanian Stronghold? I''d like to talk to my father. Even through a letter, I don''t mind." She said, her words stern and focus.


    "...It''s not impossible. In fact, I could take you there right now." Damien casually responded to her inquiry.


    "What?" And Fiona eximed, but Damien wasn''t done with his words. "I can even take you to meet up with your lost ssmates and seniors... As a close friend of my parents, I can do that much for you."


    "...Re¨CReally?" Fiona was still shocked, and couldn''t believe it.


    After all, the Romanian Stronghold was more than a hundred billion miles away from the Shade Stronghold. It was a vast distance to travel.


    Their grand parents made sure to build each Stronghold a minimum distance away from each other, which would ensure as little interaction as possible amongst them.


    They desired individual evolutions, which would not rte to one another. And even for her, ''It would take me almost a year to arrive there at full speed. And only... if I knew the direction.''


    Otherwise, it might take longer. Yet here, Damien imed to be able to take her there right now?! How unbelievable.


    "Yes. I would not y with such an important matter. Having you under me, is as important to me, as having Adonis under me. The both of you are rare gems." Damien responded.


    "..."


    And Fiona was swayed by his words, and ended up helplessly agreeing to them. How could she not, when she was told that she was a rare gem?


    Such praise, from such a handsome man was absolutely sweet to her taste buds.


    "...Please. I''d appreciate the help, lord Damien." She said, controlling all her emotions.


    "As I said, Damien is fine."


    "No. That won''t do. With such status, you deserve the honor of being a lord to us. Please, at least allow us that much." Fiona retorted, and Damien let her be.


    He already had an entire race calling him "Lord Damien", and probably more woulde. Another person doing the same would not bother him much.


    "Deactivate your form." He said, and Fiona did as he said. But as she could not fly, she was invulnerable to the force of gravity.


    Fortunately, Damien caught her in a half embrace using one arm. "Hold tight. I''ll be flying as fast as I can from now on."


    "Ye¨CYes." She replied, her face blushing red in embarrassment. Being so close to a man, and smelling his scent almost drove her mad.


    It was one of a kind experience. ''He''s... He''s so soft. Men can also be soft? And he smells so nice too. And warm as well.'' She thought, almost rxing herself to sleep.


    But then, when a pair of silver metallic wings burst out of Damien''s back, she found herself gawking at them in stupor.


    ''Wh¨CWhat on Romania is that? It''s so beautiful!!'' She thought, almost squealing in excitement like a fan girl receiving an autograph from her idol.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    But Damien did not take her to mind. Instead, he had shown these wings because they were the only artifact that enabled him the ability to travel at light speed.


    Even as a Saint, his speed was nowhere near reaching light speed. Hence why he was still as close to the Wings of Endless Ashe as ever.


    "Close your eyes. Or else you''d go crazy at what you''ll see, princess." He warned gently, and she hurriedly nodded her head in obedience.


    "..."


    Damien held her tighter, and burst forth as a gray-ish silver blur of light, that tore through the void with how fast he was travelling.


    Fiona subconsciousness wed at him, as she felt her body travel through an air-less environment, where they felt no pressure or resistance whatsoever.


    She desperately wanted to open her eyes to take a view at her soroundings, but Damien''s warning always managed to sh within her thoughts. ''Close your eyes. Or else you''d go crazy at what you''ll see, princess.''


    And they were enough for her. She cherished her life, as much as she cherished her sanity. What was the use of living, if you''re bat shit crazy?


    But after a short while, she suddenly heard Damien''s words whisper softly into her ears. "If desperately want to see, you can open your eyes. I''ll cover them with Mana."


    He said, and his voice almost got her intoxicated. Luckily, she knew Damien was a man taken by Juliette, and convinced herself that there were no feelings involved between them.


    ''None, Fiona, none!!'' She internally chanted, and slowly opened her eyes, only to be presented with a world of darkness, with infinite colors shing backwards at an untraceable speed.


    "Oh. My. Gawd." She lightly eximed, her eyes widening at the shocking wonder that was being fed to her eyes.


    A clear representation of what she saw, would be something simr to a tunnel window of darkness, with countless lights of various colors shing backwards.


    As they were travelling so fast, everything seemed to be in slow motion, and was only reflected to her eyes as light of sorts.


    "This is an unique phenomenon, that any person can see, when they tap through the Source of Speed, or travel at light speed." Damien exined.


    "It''s the environment, the atmosphere and everything else you''d see on average. But as fast fast we are travelling, we have entered a unique space, where we see everything in their particle nature."


    "Particle nature?" Fiona inquired amidst her stupor, and Damien replied. "...I''m not too sure myself, but I believe it''s particles. If not atoms... Or perhaps Mana. In fact, just ignore all that I said, princess. I could be lying."


    He said, and Fiona held herself back fromughing. ''At least, now I know you somewhat human.'' She thought, rxing at this side of Damien.


    She loved the fact that even as powerful and as fast as he was, he did not put up airs, and nor did he take advantage of that to act all knowing.


    After all, Damien wasnt omnipotent, nor omniscient just because he traveled through the ages. In fact, he had focused most of his attention and time on the world, than how it operates back then.


    Most of his knowledge was obtained from others, and he never had the time to prove it. Which was why he stopped himself from saying anymore.


    ''That little girl could have lied to me. Perhaps the "Light-Particle Theory" she unted was a false theory.''


    He thought, remembering a high elven scientist that was too smart for her own good. Thankfully, she was quite cute, which saved her life everyday.


    With that thought, Damien suddenly stopped, and all the various colors and tunnel of darkness... vanished out of sight.


    What was revealed to them, was the clear blue skies, and a prosperous kingdom below them. With the color red and white being more prominent.


    "We are here..." He said, and let go of Fiona, who transformed into her Phoenix form and added, "...at the Romanian Stronghold."


    A Stronghold that stretched over vastnds, with a magnificent volcano thousands of miles away. And unlike the Shade Stronghold that had cities, the Romanian Stronghold was one single city.


    Divided intonds owned by nobility, which were simply namednds after theirst name. For example, the royal family''s Land of Vermillion.


    Eachnd was divided by an orange river that stretched throughout, and beyond the Stronghold. It''s main source being the volcano behind them.


    The Orange River.


    The river was also notva, but was pure water, with fire properties. It was said to rival boiling water, and with the Romanian''s evolution through natural selection, they had high resistance to it.


    Going as far as being able to swim within it. Which exins their high Affinity with fire.

 Chapter 120 The King Of Romania

    ?Going as far as being able to swim within it. Which exins their high Affinity with fire. Fiona being a prime example of that. "...I wonder what your ancestors thought when choosing this ce."


    Damien said out of the blue, and Fiona coughed in embarrassment. Their Stronghold had less people than others, as most were eliminated through natural selection.


    Which was one of their regrets in choosing this ce for survival. Fiona being one of them.


    "An¨CAnyway, lord Damien, please, this way. Allow me to lead you to meet my father." She changed the topic, and Damien nodded in response.


    But the way she formed her words, could give strangers the wrong impression about them.


    The two of them decreased in altitude, and flew down towards the Land of Vermillion at the center of the Stronghold, with its boisterous atmosphere.


    But just as they were a hundred meters above ground, groups of red scaled winged lizards took off from below, sorounding them from all directions.


    "HALT!! WHO DARES TRESPASS OVER THE DOMAIN OF THE VERMILLION KING?" The man at the lead roared out, hisnce pointing threateningly at the two.


    Damien watched them, and kept his silence. He appraised the level of development of this Stronghold during the past two months.


    ''They''ve already subjugated the red-scaled winged lizards that leave near the volcano. And their major forces are all proficient in fire-types.'' He assessed. ''But, even then, they have yet to develop through Mana proficiency. But I don''t me them.''


    Meanwhile, Fiona held on to Damien, who also held her back, and she took on her human form. "Cease your valiance, my warriors. It''s only I, princess Fiona."


    She said, and the people sorounding them immediately recognized her. But the man in lead was still unwillingly to let the matter be. "OUR PRINCESS HAS BEEN ON A JOURNEY FOR THE PAST TWO MONTHS. WHO ARE YOU?"


    He demanded. They all knew that their princess went out with a group, and should be returning as a group as well. But now, she only had one man? A stranger in fact.


    "...This is, bothersome." She said, having a sense of deja vu. First, the identity crisis at the Shade Stronghold, and now here as well? "Lord Damien, what do we do?"


    She inquired. After all, without telling them where her ssmates and mentor were, she could not prove herself. Even if she showed them her identity token of a princess.


    "Hm? Simple, we barge in by force." Damien said, and Fiona hurriedly disagreed. "We cannot do that. They are still my people, and are just doing their job."


    "Don''t worry, I won''t be too hard on them." Damien said, and spread out his aura, that had every one of them freeze in fear. "Descent, if you know what''s good for you."


    He said, forcful using his aura and killing intent to pressurize the red scaled winged lizards into descending back to the ground.


    He followed after, and then gently ced Fiona on the ground. "Let''s go, princess. There is no need need worry, I''ll put them to... rest."


    A burst of aura gushed down on the tens of guards, drowning them in so much pressure, they felt their wills give in. Then they all copsed one by one, like a domino effect.


    "..."


    Fiona stood shock, gawking at how easy it was for Damien to defeat their greatest warriors. ''None of them might be above level 20, but still... how could they lose so easily against one man?''


    She thought, amazed at Damien''s power. But thinking about it carefully, the mother was as fast as lightning, and the father had giganomous strength. What of the son?


    "Let''s go, princess." He said, and she meekly nodded, leading the way into the castle.


    Along the way, they disregarded the extremely shocked maids and butlers, and just walked deeper into the interior of the castle.


    And as for the guards within, they were unaware of the mess that took ce outside, and just thought that their princess was back from her trip. They were only surprised by the extremely handsome man apanying her.


    Soon enough, they reached the throne room, and there, they met the man dressed invishly crafted red armor, covered in red robes.


    On his side were two guards also dressed in red ted, full te armors. Their armors had robes on their back, signifying their status as highmanders.


    Before them was a long red carpet that stretched all the way to the door. On both sides, stood ten guards each, all being the strongest within the Stronghold.


    Amongst them, were spearmen, swordsmen, and even mages and wizards. All mostly clothed in red attires.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "...Father." Fiona greeted, and all the guards on the side bowed respectfully at her and Damien.


    "My daughter, Fiona. I''ve been worried sick about you." The man, whom Fiona called father, said and stood up from his throne.


    He was a middle aged man around his early thirties. His face was still rtively young, as there was no hint of beard or fatherly visage on him.


    He walked down the throne, and onto the carpet, his eyes moving towards Damien with hidden scrutiny. ''What a handsome young men.'' He thought to himself.


    "I''ve always thought you''d you''d be frolicking around the teacher of yours every given second. But never did I expect you would bring... such a gentleman back home."


    "Father, wait, you don''t¨C"


    "My name is Gregory Vermillion, young sir, a pleasure to meet you. And what would your name be?" He ignored her and introduced himself to Damien.


    Damien did not think much of the man''s greeting and just responded. He knew that Gregory Vermillion was quite the famous person.


    He was amongst the top fifty most famous second generational humans. Ranking amongst the top twentyl, known as the king of strategy himself.


    A cunning and ruthless man when it came to war. He was also quite the shameless one as well. So Damien was a bit careful of his antics. "My name is Damien Gray, a pleasure of mine to meet you, Vermillion King."


    He said, and the moment he was done with his greeting, two blurry red shes appeared besides him. A de before his throat, and one aiming straight at his heart.


    It was the two highmanders, who were this Stronghold''s finest warriors. They moved quite fast, and were fluent with their assassination techniques.


    "Sir Achilles, Sir Aeneas, please don''t!!" Fiona cried out in panic, but her father added with a light smile. "Now now, let''s all calm down gentleman. I am sure young master Gray has no ill intentions of paying us a visit."


    He said, and the two holding Damien at bay, slowly retreated and stood behind their king. Fiona sighed in relief, and hurriedly bowed towards Damien.


    "I am truly sorry about this, lord Damien." She said, panicked and nervous. But Damien casually patted her head with an expression of serenity. "It''s alright. Raise your head, princess."


    He did not mind. In fact, it has been quite a while since he felt offended by a human.


    "...Thank you." She said, then shot her father a distasteful re. The man slightly chuckled, and shrugged his shoulders. "I''m sorry dear, but you can''t me me."


    "Anyway, shall we all sit down for a proper conversation?" He inquired, and Damien nodded. "Splendid. Now, please follow me. Gentlemen, lead the way please."


    And just like that, a disaster was avoided by a stroke of luck. Momentster, Damien, Fiona and King Gregory sat within a luxurious lounge, and were served tea by the maids.


    The highmanders, sir Achilles and sir Aeneas stood guard behind him. Either than them, there was no one else within the room.


    "Now, shall we start?" Gregory smiled, and began the conversation. Fiona nodded, and decided to tell Gregory about the idea of bing an ambassador for the Shade Stronghold.


    Damien had made it clear that the King''s Project was only exclusive to them and the Gray House, until further notice. Hence she kept that out of her story.


    "Mhm, I see. So that is what brought you here, young master Gray. But before that, dear, where are your ssmates and mentors?" He inquired, now stern.


    "Ah, about that, father..." And she reported everything that took ce, including meeting and being saved by the Gray couple.


    "Mhm, mhm. Such kind hearted monsters." He lightly responded, and Fiona reprimanded. "Father, please!!"


    "Haha, my bad my bad, I do owe your parents my thanks though, young master Gray. And my apologies about the earlier scuffle. I hope you don''t mind that, now do you?"


    "Not at all." Damien said, then added, "I am thankful you at least did not immediately go for the kill. A wise move for the both of us. And if it were me, you''d be dead"


    "Haha, that''s to he expected of the child of two previously acknowledged superhumans. I wouldn''t expect less." Gregory chuckled at his own remark.


    "But... do tell me, why should I allow my precious daughter to do as you suggest?" He inquired, once more bing stern.

 Chapter 121 A Glimpse Of Power

    ?"We''ve entered an unprecedented Era of the unknown. And if your daughter were to be besides me, I can at least promise you information about what''s going on and what''s going to happen."


    "And if possible, Vermillion King, I don''t mind giving you information about this world itself." Damien said, also taking on a stern expression.


    "I see... Is your information credible?" He asked, but knowing the Gray House, he knew how far their influence spread out. And how powerful they were.


    "A hundred percent credible."


    "Alright then. Thats a done deal. But..." Gregory smiled, and Fiona became nervous. She wasn''t sure what her father would demand. And whether Damien would agree.


    "..."


    But Damien did not have a change of expression, and only waited for him to speak. And to speak he did. "But, we would also like an ambassador this side. One as important as my daughter."


    He said with utmost resolve. After all, the risk of leaving his daughter within a foreignnd was too much, and unbearable for a king, let alone for a father.


    "...I cannot give you any of the Shade princes or princesses, they mean nothing to me. My seniors from the Gray House would be hard to handle as well. So just state your demands, Vermillion King." Damien said.


    "..."


    And Gregory only stared at him. They stared at one another in silence, with extremely serious expression. Well one was stern, and the other was just unbothered.


    Until a few minutester when Gregory sighed in defeat. "There''s nothing I can think of. Plus, nothing of mary value can ever beparable to the life of my daughter."


    He said, and Fiona felt those words melt her heart. ''Father...''


    Damien nodded, "I understand. So, how about this?" He said, then stood up, causing the two behind Gregory to slightly tense up. But he ignored them.


    "I swear upon myst name and my father''s pride that, one, I will protect princess Fiona as best as I can. I will teach her all that is necessary for her, and if possible, even make her a god."


    "And two, as a sign of peace from the Gray House, I am willing to bestow this as a token of our partnership." He waved his hand, and a single drop of Pure Reified Divine power appeared.


    BOOOM~!!!


    And as usual, it''s appearance kicked up a powerful storm that almost tore the entire castle down. Even the two master professions behind Gregory were forced back.


    "Your highness..!!"


    "King..!!"


    They cried out, but were unable to fight against the force. Even Fiona failed to struggle, but was luckylily protected by Damien''s vast Mana, that encased in a thinyer of Mana skin. And so was Gregory.


    "This... This is..." Gregory marveled at the pressure and power he felt. And as Damien stood below the droplet of Pure Reified Divine power, his bearing came out as godly.


    His silver-tinum blonde hair danced regally within the air, and his blue eyes stared down apathetically at him, like two raging blue suns. "I bestow upon you the power desired by even the gods. A power of supremacy."


    He waved his hand, and the droplet flew out of the castle at light speed towards the volcano.


    The light and pressure from it made it visible throughout the whole Stronghold. And as the people of Romania watched, they saw it fly directly into the volcano, and peace temporarily returned.


    "What was that?"


    "I don''t know. But it came from the castle, at the Land of Vermillion."


    "Is the King nning something?"


    "Beats me. But I have a feeling this, won''t be a very light topic in the future."


    "Agreed."


    People throughout the streets, of the various Lands discussed, and just as thest one thought, this was just the calm before the storm.


    "You..!! What did you do?!" Achiles pulled out his sword and pointed it at Damien, demanding an exnation in rage and frustration.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Rage at being humiliated like that, and frustration of not knowing what would happen. Even Aeneas was angry, but more collected. He stood protectively before Gregory.


    "Nothing, really. I just gave you all a naturalndscape even the gods would envy. Soon, the fire particles within this region will explosively increase, and since most of you rely on it, you will experience higher rate of growth."


    Damien said lightly, taking back his seat. And as he spoke, everyone could already feel the heat within their soroundings climb up, and their blood boiling in excitement and desire.


    He then added, "In due time, you could have proficiency with fire even higher than those of devils bred in Hell."


    "...And what makes you think we will believe you?" Achilles grit his teeth and asked, Damien casually responding. "You don''t have to. And you can attack if so desire."


    "With pleasure..!!" Achilles said, and prepared himself to risk it all, even if it night result in his death.


    "Don''t." But Gregory said, stopping Achilles from rashly getting them killed. He was still awed by Damien''s godly bearing of a moment ago. "But, young master Gray, what if we still disagree after all of this?"


    "That''s all on you." Damien said, "I''vee in peace, but that doesn''t mean I''m afraid toe in war... It''s said you''re smart, Vermillion King, and I hope that''s not just a rumor."


    "Why you..!!" Achilles grit his teeth in more anger, veins pulsing on his head. But Fiona hurriedly stopped him. "Sir Achilles please calm down."


    "...I knew it." Gregory then said, and chuckled lightly. He knew that at the end of the day, kindness had a motive behind it. Especially from powerful people.


    And the Gray House was not an exception. He then asked his daughter, "Fiona, what do you think? Young master Gray demands your presence, what is your response?"


    "Please be as honest as you can with me, my child. I''ll respect your choice, even if it means this lounge will be my death bed." He said, Achilles and Aeneas tensing up.


    They also held their breathes, waiting for Fiona''s words. Damien was also quiet, his expression at calm and serenity.


    "I... I..." Meanwhile, Fiona felt unbearable pressure on her shoulders. Pressure that was as heavy as carrying a ton of weight on her back.


    She clenched her dress in her fist, and her breathe slowly hastened. Her choice could be the deciding factor of her father''s life and death, and such a responsibility was too harsh for a fifteen year old girl.


    But on the other side, she believed, or desperately hoped that Damien wasn''t who the rumors imed him to be. She hoped he was who he presented himself as to her.


    And thus, she took a deep breathe, still nervous, and thought about it. Why did she want to be an ambassador of the Shade Stronghold?


    ''To be a King candidate, obtain resources, be stronger, then protect my people. Yet I cannot say that to father. But he doesn''t have to know, does he..?''


    "Take your time, dear." Gregory said, a smile on his face. He was not bothered about dying at all.


    "I agree, father." And that was enough for Fiona to resolve herself and took the risk. "I want to go and gain experience with lord Damien, learn about the world and mature into an experienced queen."


    "Is that so? Are you sure that is something you, yourself, desire, my dear?"


    "Yes. I am not being forced father, please believe me with that."


    "I do, I genuinely do. If you agree, then I will support you as your father, and hope that young master Gray here, keeps the end of his bargain."


    Damien intervened, "I shall."


    "That''s splendid then. Now, this is out of context, but why ''lord Damien''? Just curious, just curious." Gregory shrugged his shoulders, and Fiona blushed in embarrassment.


    Her father made it seem extremely improper. Which promoted her to hurriedly reply, "It''s because... it''s because... it''s because..."


    But the more she tried to reason, the more she blushed in embarrassment. ''I cannot say because he is above us King candidates can I..?''


    "Well, I understand. You''re a grown up at this point." Gregory said with a nod of understanding. "No, father!! You don''t understand, it''s nothing like that!!"


    "Don''t be embarrassed now. I said I understand okay." But he did not want to listen, and then changed the topic. "By the way, young master Gray, what was that thing you summoned?"


    "A rare treasure of the divine. Don''t stress yourselves over it your highness, and treat it as our token of partnership. We look forward working with you, king of Romania."


    Damien responded as such, and stretched out his hand. Gregory took ahold if it and shook it with his usual smile. "Pleasure is ours, young master Gray."

 Chapter 122 A Kings Idle Thoughts

    ?*** Gregory Vermillion ***


    I stood at the high balcony of our castle, and watched as my daughter, ardoned in her Phoenix form, flew away from us with the handsome son of Gray in tow.


    Achilles and Aeneas, my trusted aides and best friends, stood behind me and watched alongside me. We only watched, in silence.


    Until a few minutester, when Achilles couldn''t hold it anymore. "Your highness, why did you allow him to walk all over your pride as a King like that?!"


    He blew off. As expected from the rough headed Achilles. The child I took in when I was merely growing up, and swore to repay back, even with his life.


    Honestly, I wouldn''t want that, but meh. I don''t mind having one or two loyal warriors by my side. And as for his words... "He did not walk over my pride as king, Achilles."


    "At least, he gave me enough respect as a person, and didn''te with force at the beginning." I said, not turning around to face him. "Not everyone is bound to show respect and fealty to me, as I am not everyone''s king."


    "Especially those from other Strongholds, or those with powerful organizations backing them up... like the Gray House for starters." I added with a light smile.


    The Gray House.


    Now that I think about them, they are are quite terrifying monsters. Superhumans hidden amongst humans. Or rather, devils clothed within human skin?


    It''s said that each of them has surpassed even masters within their proficient arts, being quite untouchable and undefeated.


    And this was before all this mess urred. With it around, people like us finally became superhumans, and achieved unforseen levels of power.


    Being able to cut apart mountains, unleash hellish seas of mes, or even conjur mes out of thin air. Such feats became possible for us mere humans.


    What of the devils themselves? If humans like us, who had no powers prior, can now do all that, what about the devils that always stood above us all along?


    What power... would they unleash now? Especially so, as each member of the Gray House, is rumored to be quite ambitious and obsessed with bing better than most.


    I saw that first hand today.


    "But your highness¨C"


    "King Gregory is right, Achilles." Ah, little Aeneas. Thank you for speaking up in support for me. That''s so like you.


    Unlike Achilles, Aeneas'' family has been serving the Vermillion family for years, and we grew together since childhood. He''s always in favor of whatever I say, what a good boy.


    "How so, pretty boy?" Achilles demanded an exnation from Aeneas, and thetter calm replied. "Young master Gray is also someone of high status."


    "He should also be demanding respect as well, especially from people like me and you."


    "What? You say that child is stronger than I am? Is that it, pretty boy?"


    "Not precisely so. What I am trying to say here is, young master Gray has more status and influence than the both of us."


    "..."


    Achilles was lost for words, and only clenched his fists in frustration. Aeneas saw through his frustration, and added after a pause.


    "But he indeed, had no right to be so blunt towards us. After all, we are the King''s hands." He added and Achilles spirit was rejuvenated with vigor.


    "I know right!! I knew you understood my frustrations, pretty boy."


    "..."


    You guys... should just get married already. But that aside, Aeneas is still as soft hearted as always, and Achilles, you will forever be simple minded.


    Now...


    I looked up, at the direction Damien Gray took my daughter at. Now, I wonder what your true reason was for following after him, my daughter.


    The fact that he looks too different from the records, and the power he weilds, tells me that he has experienced quite the opportunity within these two months.


    And the fact that the Gray House dares form connections again, after being threatened by all twelve Strongholds to stay put... shows that they don''t even fear us collectively.


    "...That aside, Achilles, just by looking at him, do you believe you would have defeated him?" I asked out of the blue.


    I for one, knew I wouldn''t. Achilles paused, thought about it, and responded almost instantly. "My senses told me that I would die within instants."


    Aeneas also frowned, "I too, my king. I felt danger so high, I thought I was lucid dreaming. My senses kept ringing bells and rms so much, I thought I was insane."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I see..." I smiled even more. As expected, just the youngest of them, could already have two of my best men trembling in their boots, what of the rumored First ranked?


    Or the assassin queen herself? Or humanity''s recognized strongest man?


    Now this is getting amusing, I thought. I wonder what would happen from now, and what heights would my daughter reach with such support?


    "By the way, how do you both feel? Did your strength increase?" I asked, a bit curious about the effects of Damien Gray''s actions. A tool envied by even the gods?


    I like hor that sounds.


    "Though hard to admit, yeah. I feel a bit stronger. And my Life Essence is slightly increasing." Achilles replied with a sour expression.


    "True on my side, my king." Aeneas also added without a change of expression.


    "I see. Alright then, from today, I want both of you to lead our armies towards the foot of the volcano and train them there." I said, taking responsibility as a King.


    The highest concentration of Fire particles should be there. Hence why I believe they would experience higher growth rates there instead.


    "You will switch shifts every week, Achilles going first with half the army, and Aeneas going after. When that academic fool returns, he will also lead his schrs in as well."


    "At the same time, I want you to ask your men to observe any changes throughout the Stronghold. Especially the Orange River, and report back at me any changes made."


    "Yes, your highness."


    "Yes, my king."


    They both kneeled respectfully behind me, and responded. I didn''t even have to turn around to know that they were excited for this.


    And so was I.


    "Next, send out scouts to go deeper and further away from our Stronghold. We need detailed information about our soroundings and its changes, before we can n anything."


    I said, and they responded just like before. Ah, having loyal followers is the best.


    "Ah, and after a month of training, we will be moving to support the Shade Stronghold with their current predicament. I wonder who amongst you will be willing to go."


    "Wait, your highness, is that a good idea? Supporting the Gray House, shouldn''t be supporting the Shade Stronghold, right?" Achilles inquired with a frown.


    My smile remained, as I understood his worries. And so did Aeneas, who responded in my stead.


    "It''s simple, Achilles. Young master Gray will not choose to support our princess, without supporting one from the Shade Stronghold first. Especially so, when he chose to bring our princess back to their Stronghold."


    "Oh... I thought he took her because there was no one worth supporting there." Achilles said.


    Indeed, that could be the case, but I disagreed. "That''s not the case. If so, he could have supported her here instead. There''s nothing worth him staying at the Shade Stronghold, either than that there is someone he is unwilling to leave all alone during their current predicament."


    "Oh... So, who do you think it is that he is supporting? The eldest son or the eldest daughter of the Adams household?" Achilles inquired.


    My smile became brighter, as I turned around to finally face them. "I''ve given you instructions, why are you still here?"


    "...Sorry about that, your highness. I''ll be going right now then."


    "So will I, my king. Enjoy yourself, and be careful."


    And like that, I watched as they also left. As for that question of yours, Achilles. "I already know of one. No, two candidates that are worth supporting, albeit not promising."


    "And they are the youngest of the Adams siblings, not the oldest." I thought out loud to myself. And I know, a lot might disagree with me.


    But I stay with that belief. The spark with the eyes of those two when I met them twelve years ago, was quite amazing. Like a sun born out of pure ambition to achieve greatness, and only greatness alone.


    "But will that kind of ambition, bow down to the gaze of extreme indifference and power?" I thought, thinking back to the eyes of Damien Gray.


    Especially so, that right eye of his, that shone of even more splendor and majesty. Perhaps, an eye of the gods?


    "Speaking about the two youngest sons of the Adams, where is my own? Where did that daring son of mine go this time? And how would he feel of he were to know that his sister is living his dream right now?"


    I thought with chuckle, mentally removing myself from theing rivalry that would be born between my two children.

 Chapter 123 The World Is Expanding..?

    ?Damien and Fiona flew through the skies, and this time around, Fiona was in her Phoenix form, chasing after Damien''s figure.


    Boom~


    Her speed shattered the sound barrier, and she managed to keep up with him. Yet that was so, because Damien was moving at a speed that could match hers.


    And the two flew in silence until a momentter, about a few minutes after flight, when Fiona whispered to the wind. "Thank you..." She softly said.


    "Don''t mind it. There''s more I will do, and I wouldn''t want to hear a thank you everytime." Damien said, and Fiona nodded her head in understanding.


    ''Probably every other King candidate will receive simr treatment, if not even better than mine.'' She thought, convincing herself with those words.


    The duo then flew in silence once more, for a few more minutes, until Fiona, who couldn''t bare the awkward silence, spoke up once more.


    "By the way, lord Damien..."


    "..."


    And Damien could not help but let out an internal sigh to himself. ''Why am I always associated with chatter boxes? And it''s always the fire type ones.'' He thought to himself.


    But Fiona was unaware of his thoughts, and continued her words. "...strange. I feel like the distance between the Strongholds are growingrger by the day."


    "I remember as a child, my father took me to a Grand Ball where all kings and queens would meet. I think it was twelve years ago, and it didn''t take us over two months on sky hogs."


    She said, and Damien understood her confusion. Sky hogs were a special breed of eagle-like beasts, with Inhuman stamina and speed that could rival even sports car, but strangely obedient.


    They could fly at 260 miles per hour, yet even they took two months to reach the Central Zone, where the first generational humans reside.


    It showed how vast each Stronghold was from each other, yet that number should never reach a hundred billion miles. It shouldn''t evene close, so what was the matter? She thought.


    "It''s The Primordial Source. It is mostly the culprit of any changes that ur throughout this world. ming it would reduce stress levels and confusion rates.." Damien said, and Fiona nodded.


    [ ... ]


    "So this entity... how did it do it?" She inquired, and Damien exined. It felt like he was with Flint again, and teaching a child knowledge about the world.


    "When it awakened, the world expanded. It was subtle, and almost unnoticeable, as it urred overnight. And when the world became a Realm, it expanded once more."


    "The same urred when it became a Stage 2 Realm as well. And it would probably expand even more, the more it evolves into a Realm." He said, dropping words that had her shocked.


    "...So, to simply understand this, the world is expanding..?" She asked, and Damien affirmed "Indeed, and would still continue to expand."


    "But why? Won''t it be nigh impossible for people to explore the world at that point?"


    "Why would that be of importance to The Primordial Source? A Realm is mostly inhabited by deities or other unique races, which, in essence, are extremely fast by nature."


    "Oh? How fast are gods? Are they faster than you?"


    "...Most are faster than me in base stats."


    "In base?''


    "It simply means that without my wings, I can mostly match up to a minority of gods. But with them, then the number heavily decreases."


    "Oh, I understand. How about strength? Are you stronger than the gods? Wait, are you a god yourself? How powerful are you by the way? How..."


    "..."


    Damien sighed once more, and really wondered how it was possible for a person to be so talkative and yet so hyperactive.


    ''Flint, I''ve got you a little friend that you might like.'' He thought, and with those thoughts, they continued with their flight.


    ~~~


    Meanwhile, within a small forest in the Shade Stronghold''s influence, a man stood atop arge rock, and cleared his throat.


    The man wore neat clothes, and covered himself in a clean white and red robe. He also had long red hair, that was currently wild and unkempt. His skin was smooth and his eyes also red.


    He presented a beautiful smile and said in the most gentlest tone possible for a men, "Listen up guys, I know this situation is a bit dire¨C"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "What do you mean a bit? This situation ispletely out of hand!!" Another man said in frustration, cutting off the former''s words.


    This man was below the first man, and he was sorounded by a group of young teens around fifteen and sixteen years of age. Besides him was a woman of simr age to him.


    They all wore robes as well, yet not as mboyant and luxurious as that of the first, who responded with a bitter chuckle, "Hehe, okay, maybe a bit too dire for us."


    "What do you mean us? We have nothing to do with this, Harold." The woman spoke up this time around, pushing her sses up, with murderous intent within.


    "Come on guys, you can''t di to this to me." The first man, Harold, said in dejection. "It''s not like I told the princess to escape from us you know."


    He said, defending himself, but the teens below him threw pebbles and twigs at him, booing and calling him names in denial of his words. ''You guys...'' He thought in disbelief.


    He was the younger brother of Gregory Vermillion, and uncle to Fiona, Harold Vermillion. One of the few men who could challenge Gregory in terms of schemes and tactics.


    He was the most knowledgeable within Romania, and had chosen to take this expedition out for a practical session with his own expenses.


    But little did he know that when they entered a forest near Romania, they would not be able to get out for two whole months.


    ''Acrually, who would have thought that seeing a forest within a dessert region was out of the ordinary. Yeah, probably not me.'' He thought, sighing in despair.


    ''Not only have I lost the smartest and promising batch of our future warriors and schrs, I''ve lost my precious niece... Oh lord, my brother will have my neck.'' He dreaded his future.


    "It''s been two months now. Do you guys think she has passed on?" He asked, and the woman with sses immediately retorted. "Passed on my ass!! Go die!!"


    "Kiara, watch your words. Get ahold of your manners, it''s not okay for ady to be so uncivilized." He said matter-of-factly.


    "And whose fault do you think that is?!"


    "Who elses? You can''t me someone for your own upbringing."


    "Ha.ro.ld!!!" She roared out his name, anger dripping off her tongue, with clenched her fists so tight, they could grip through the souls of gods and devils.


    But Harold wasn''t focused on her at this point, instead he pointed at a random direction and said. "Okay guys, let''s go this direction today. My senses are telling me it''s the right direction."


    "Your senses have been lying to you for two months now, give it up." The other man said, his name being Lloyd.


    "...Why are you guys so weak willed?"


    "...Harold,e here." Lloyd said out of the blue, his expression calm, but anyone could feel his rate from a mile away. Including Harold.


    And as much as he didn''t fear both of them, he had to understand that they had the entire ss behind them. After all, the reason he was up here was for safety precautions.


    "Haha, I was just joking, good men, beautifuldies. How about we all calm down, and forget any of this happened?"


    "Get down first."


    "..."


    Harold kept quiet, and chose to remain still. He was not stupid. Everyone else also realized this, and just sighed without forcing him.


    But just as nobody dared to force him, someone did. "You are still as infuriating as ever, uncle. And for that... why don''t you pay for your sins."


    Fiona''s voice rang out behind Harold, and when he was about to turn around, he was kicked down towards the people below.


    Fiona them revealed herself, a smile of aplishment on her face. "You can all beat him up now. Don''t worry, he deserves it."


    "Ah, thank you princess. You''re truly a blessing in disguise." Kiara said, cracking her knuckles. "Indeed, she is." Lloyd added.


    And since they were his friends, they did not hold back in pummeling him down. "Wait, wait, you guys can not be serious, are you? I''m a delicate young man!!"


    "Guess." They replied together, and did a number on him without a care. Meanwhile, her ssmates chose to stay out of it, and just looked up at Fiona.


    "Princess Fiona, you''re okay?" A friend of hers said, and she nodded with a smile. "Yes. I was lucky to be saved by a... special friend of mine."


    "Special friend?" The girl asked, her eyes sparkling in desire for gossip. All her other female ssmates were also curious about this special friend of hers.


    ''You guys don''t understand.'' Fiona thought.

 Chapter 124 Prohpet Of Humanity

    ?''You guys don''t understand.'' Fiona thought, and as she was about to reply, Damien''s voice rang out from above them. "Princess, we should take our leave now."


    He said, his gaze not focused on them, but on something deeper within the interior of the forest. A beast responsible for this forest''s strange traits.


    And he wasn''t going to be facing it anytime soon. The poor thing did him no wrong.


    "Yes, lord Damien. Everyone, pack up. We are going to lead you out of this hell hole." She said, but no one responded to her.


    Instead, they all, including Kiara and Lloyd who stopped delicately reforming Harold''s face, stared in stupor at Damien, and his ungodly levels of beauty that shone with supremacy above them.


    ''...Should I be surprised?'' She thought, also looking up at Damien. And no matter how much she saw him, she had to admit, he was the most handsome man she''s ever seen.


    ~~~


    By evening, Damien had returned back to the Shade Stronghold with the Romanian crew. They currently stood before the Stronghold''s entrance, while Fiona conversing with the guards.


    She presented to them a letter with the stamp of the royal Vermillion family, and the guard rushed it towards the castle through a messenger bird.


    "Lord Damien, are you sure this would be a good idea? We came unannounced and unprepared after all." Fiona asked as she returned.


    Harold, Kiara, Lloyd and the others were also worried about this matter. But Damien kept his poker expression. "It shouldn''t be much of a problem for now."


    He said, then added. "All you have to do is associate yourself with Adonis. He is a good kid, and will treat you with enough courtesy deserved of guests at your level."


    "What about the Shade King?" Harold, beat up and bruised, asked with a straight face. He bared with the pain he felt, and took it like a man.


    "He should not be much of a problem either. You guys will handle the conversations with him, while I''ll deal with the rest." Damien replied.


    "Our reason foring here? We cannot just barge in now, can we?" Kiara scoffed as she asked, but Damien did not take her attitude to mind whatsoever.


    "Reason?" He frowned. He did not take that to mind, because he had no intent of bringing them here to begin with. ''This was an unexpected trip.'' He thought.


    But he could not send them back now, especially as the forest of illusions led them here. ''I could send them back one by one, but... they would benefit more if they stayed.''


    He thought. His idea was simple; he had no ns of ying management, but humanity''s progress was slow, and now he was forced to take matters into his own hands.


    "...I''ll deal with that." He said, but Fiona hurriedly interjected. "N¨CNo, it''s fine. We will think of one, right uncle? Right?"


    Harold blinked his eyes in surprise, wondering why he was involved into this. But seeing his niece''s re, he could only helplessly nod his head. "Yes yes, I know just the thing."


    "Alright then, I thank you for that." Damien said, then left after giving Fiona a pouch simr to the one he gave Adonis. "I''ll be visiting you two from time to time."


    "Thank you." Fiona took ahold of the pouch carefully, and bowed in return. Damien nodded and then left them there.


    Everyone watched until he entered the Stronghold, then turned back to Fiona. "Who was that, my dear one?" Harold asked.


    "...Someone of high authority and power. But that aside, what''s your n uncle?" She inquired, hiding the pouch into her bossom.


    "Ah, about that... I''m still thinking." He said, rubbing his bloated cheek. "Just give me a moment or two, dear."


    He genuinely had no idea what to do.at the moment. But since he had already let everyone doen for two whole months, he belived he could make it up to them with this one favor.


    "Alright. But we don''t have all day. And senior Kiara, senior Lloyd, everyone, I am sorry about this okay? I promise I will exin everything to you as soon as possible." Fiona said, slightly bowing towards them and her ssmates.


    "Fine with me as long as I understand my position." Kiara said, and Lloyd nodded. "Yes, princess, don''t worry yourself too much. I''m sure it''s nothing troublesome."


    "Thank you."


    Meanwhile, after Damien entered within the interior of the Stronghold, he flew straight towards his city, without much of a rush.


    [ You should obtain mastery in Destiny or a Destiny type Ability ]


    The Primordial Source said out of the blue, and Damien nodded without replying to it.


    Indeed. Having mastery in Destiny, or even Fate, would make manipting the progress of humanity flow faster, either than just using force at all times.


    But how does he obtain one?


    [ I can give one to you? Don''t worry, I don''t require something excessive in return from you ]


    Damien sighed and paused mid air. "What is it now? What do you want this time, Primordial?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    [ Nothing ]


    "..."


    [ ... ]


    The two of them stayed silent for quite the long while. Damien of course did not believe those words, and added with a frown. "I don''t like ying games, Primordial."


    [ I know you don''t. Truth is, I''ve done a great favor for the wolves, and thought it''d be fair to do one for humanity as well ]


    " You''re growing unruly, aren''t you?"


    [ All I want is entertainment. Wouldn''t it be fun to watch a battle between mortals and divine beasts? ]


    "..."


    [ ...Maybe not ]


    Damien sighed. He suddenly had a bad feeling about his current circumstances, and with a pair of silver gray wings, he burst off into the distance at light speed.


    A few secondster, he appeared with a mountain valley, and going deeper within, he felt a terrifying presence umte itself at the core of the valley.


    And also the re of a powerful and wild beast. That alone was terrifying, let alone the res of thousands more on him.


    "What did you do?" He asked, a much bigger frown on his face. The Primordial Source inly responded.


    [ I just gave them a slight boost of power. I''ve opened up a path of divinity and uniqueness for the wolves ]


    "...All just to force me to ept your help?" He thought, but at the same time he understood the thought process of The Primordial Source.


    After all, the thoughts of eldritch and beyond creatures are all beyondmon sense. They operated with a different logic than those that still reside within the confines of Reality.


    And most importantly, he was once one of them at some point in time as well, during the previous timeline.


    [ Yes, and no. Mostly yes, and to also have you ept me as your patron source ]


    "Why are you so bent on that?" He asked, now stern. Thest time, he took such words as a yful im since The Primordial Source was still a newborn eldritch Source.


    But now, he was curious and bent on knowing why it was so desperate with him. ''Does it know about my circumstances..? Probably so, as it''s nigh-omnipotent at most.''


    Unfortunately, The Primordial Source did not sumb to his curiosity.


    [ Secrets pertaining to the workings beyond Reality. You might be an anomaly that knows more than it shall know, but that doesn''t mean your soul can take in all types of secrets ]


    [ Especially the secrets pertaining to anything beyond the workings andws of Reality ]


    "I see." He nodded at such perfect excuses, turning back towards his city, and towards his home. "Alright then, I''ll think about it. But that Destiny mastery, I still need it."


    [ Okay, but this means that you will ept? ]


    "Try even harder to win me over, Primordial. If it''s something as grand as a secret of the beyond, then don''t even think of buying me cheap." He said, opening the door to his house.


    [ Alright then. I also won''t make it easy for you either, Anomaly ]


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ You have obtained the Unique Destiny-type Ability, "Prohpet of Humanity" ]


    [ Prohpet of Humanity (UNIQUE) :- An ability geared towards the workings and interlinking of humanity''s Destiny. With this Ability, the prophet of humanity can see the destined paths of humans who are weaker than him, and manipte them to your desired course. This Ability is unique amongst Unique Abilities, and has heavily influenced the "Philosophical Mana-Kinesis" Unique Technique into a "Kismetic Mana-Kinesis" Godly Technique. All obtained Essence for the previous technique have been converted to Kismetic Essence that can be used to manipte Reality through humanity''s fate and destiny ]


    "..."


    Damien read through everything on the Ability, and opened his Temte to view any changes made since.


    It had been a long time since he''s manually focused on himself, but the current period was not about him. Nor was it about his family, nor Juliette, but the whole of humanity.


    And that being the case, the nexting months would be spent on the greater progress of this Stronghold... and if possible, the whole of humanity.


    "And I''ll need all the help I can get... including yours, Primordial." He lightly said, staring at the screen representing his Temte.

 Chapter 125 Second Ranked Gray

    ?[ Name: Damien Gray ]


    [ Mana: ¨C (Nigh-Infinite) ]


    [ Epithet(5): First Blood(Grand), Dragon yer(Myth-1), King Maker(Myth-1), Ascandent Human Progenitor(Myth-3), Lord(Grand) ]


    [ Laws(3): <Void: 1%> <Death: 1%> <Concealment: 1%> ]


    [ ss: Lvl 85 Absolute (0/67,000) ]


    [ Sub-ss: None ]


    [ Excess Life Essence: 15,990,089 ]


    [Alignment: Chaotic Neutral ]


    [ Stats: STR - 231 131,5 || AGI - 21 894,6 || END - 311 644,3 || INT - 86 544,5 || WIS - 97 533,6 || AFF - 68 685,7 (¨C) ]


    [ Stat Points: 1 600 || Ability Points: 1 201 ]


    [ ??? Abilities(1): False Enigma(1) ]


    [ Ultimate Abilities(1): Deus Ex Machina(1) ]


    [ Unique Abilities(7): Wisdom Eye(1), Plot Armor(1), Dragon Heart(1), Runic Encryption(1), Runic Dragonborne(1), Ascendent Foundation(1), Prohpet of Humanity(1) ]


    [ Extra Abilities(0): None ]


    [ Techniques(3): Mana Incorporation(Godly), Infernal Energy Cirction(Unique), Kismetic Mana-Kinesis(Godly) ]


    [ Kismetic Essence: 72 units (1/hr) ]


    [ Natural Resistance(3): <Fire: 75%> <Water: 75%> <Wind: 75%> <Earth: 75%> ]


    [ Equipment(7): Mask of Gray(Unique), Wings of Endless Ash(Unique), Undaine Bear Coat(Unique), Null de(Unique), Night Walker(Unique), Devil Gown(Unique), Void Keeper(Unique) ]


    [ Resources(0): None ]


    [ Inventory(34): Staff of Yggdrasil(Godly Unique), Axe of Nirvana(Godly Unique), Tier 1 Monster Core(¡Á1), Tier 1 Beast Cores(¡Á2), Memory Shards(¡Á10), God''s Dew(¡Á1), Condensed Divine Crystals(¡Á7), Barells of Faith(¡Á3), Tier 1 Spirit Shard(¡Á5), World Tree Syrup(¡Á1), Map of Voodond(¡Á1), Unknown ck Stone(¡Á1), Bracelets of Mava-Mana(Godly), Hell Piecer(Godly), Wraith Embrace(Godly), Andromeda(Godly), Elemental Nine-ws(Godly), Death God''s Armament(Godly), Speed Conduit(Unique), Dragon King''s Heart(Unique), Mirror Orb(Unique), Book of Fate(Unique), Misty Paradise(Unique), Cloak of Mysteries(Unique), Memoir of War(Unique), Twin Ice Snappers(Unique), Murder''s Decree(Unique), Sword of Legends(Unique), Lich King''s Warden(Unique), Ring of Promises(Godly Unique), Dragon''s Scourge(Unique), God Buster(Unique), Dragon''s Favor(Unique), Cryz Stones(¡Á5,795), Mana Crystals(¡Á68,520), Mana Stones(¡Á43,830), Mana Cores(¡Á31,485), ntadeus Seeds(¡Á199), Pure Reified Divine Power(¡Á11), Tier 1 Domains(¡Á13), Purified Thunder Dust(¡Á1) ]


    [ Bonds: Mana Heart(Realistic), Evolving Sprout of Yggdrasil(Realistic) ]


    "Not much of a change, but a change nheless." He nodded, entering into the house, only to find that there was a guest within.


    "...Greetings, senior Anna." He greeted, with a sigh. The day was a tough one already, yet the night was not letting off either.


    ~~~


    Damien and his family sat down within the dinner table, all types of exotic dishes ced down before them, each one releasing mesmerizing breathe.


    But it was to be expected as each one was made with high quality materials collected by the family during the past two months.


    Most being the materials Damien robbed the Khloris Trolls. Some of the best ingredients from this part of the continent, most being good for the body.


    But unlike usual, today, the Gray family had a special guest. "Come on, little brother, why don''t you just call me big sister for once?" And a guest Damien wasn''t hoping to meet anytime soon.


    "Senior sister, you''re making noise." Damien said in exasperation, ignoring the brown haired, hyper active beauty sitting besides him.


    "Geez, ever since growing up and besting me in our training sessions, you''ve grown an attitude young man." But the senior sister did not let him be, and yfully pulled at his cheek.


    "Tell me about it." David said in agreement. Meanwhile, Juliette and Esther continued cing more dishes on the table in silence.


    "...What do you want, senior sister Anne." Damien ignored their words and instead asked. Thedy called Anne pouted her lips cutely, and let him be.


    "I''vee to give my little brother a visit." She said, but of course Damien wouldn''t buy that. "You''ve seen me, you can leave now."


    "You never change, do you?" She sighed, then added, "But it doesn''t matter. I like my little brothers sour."


    "..."


    Damien let those fly from onr ear to another, not giving them a thought or two, let alone a damn. The only thing he did was sigh in even more exasperation.


    Thedy before him was Anne, going by Anne Gray nowadays. She, alongside the first ranked Gray House member and the current third ranked, Be Gray, were the first to join the Gray House.


    No, to be precise, they formed the Gray House as children, as around nine years of age, they already made names of themselves as geniuses.


    Esther had adopted them twenty one years ago, when they were two years old, and she was around eleven years old.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    As a daughter of the Gray household, she had quite the status, as even back on earth, this family was amongst the top ten in authority and power.


    She raised them for six years, and they also grew to be obedient to her. As young orphans, they found it easy to see her as a mother figure, and wouldn''t even mind calling her mother even now.


    And their affection only grewrger when Damien was born, as he was more of the "golden child" of the family.


    At that point, the fourth and fifth members were also adopted. So he grew up with five older siblings taking care of him, each selfishly trying to teach him what they were good at.


    But amongst them all, ''Nobody was, and still is, as obsessed with little brothers as much as you are, senior Anne.'' He thought once more.


    And just as those thoughts imply, Anne had more or less an older sister syndrome, or so Damien ims. ''A disease that makes one obsessed with being an older sister to those younger than her.''


    "No no no, little brother. I''m only obsessed with you being my little brother. Don''t twist my intentions." Anne said, and Damien immediately retorted, "I''ll hate you if you read my thoughts like that."


    "Gee... why don''t don''t loosen up a bit? You''ve been poker since you were born."


    "Correction, since I was three."


    "Doesn''t change the fact that you grew bored of life at an early age."


    "By the way senior¨C"


    "Don''t change the topic!!" She said in defeat, but Damien once more tantly ignored those words. "¨CI have crafted weapons for everyone with the resources they''ve given me. Here are some of them."


    He said, waving his hand and taking out weapons from his Void Keeper storage. This could have waited, but anything to shut this woman up would do.


    Dragon King''s Heart (Unique)


    Mirror Orb (Unique)


    Book of Fate (Unique)


    Cloak of Mysteries (Unique)


    Memoir of War (Unique)


    Twin Ice Snappers (Unique)


    Murder''s Decree (Unique)


    Sword of Legends (Unique)


    Lich King''s Warden (Unique)


    All ten treasures floated above the table, taking the spotlight. Each one shining with resplendency and estoric majesty. "Woah..!!" Anne eximed when she saw them.


    She felt tempted to hoarde over each and everyone of them. She felt like with all of them, she could conquer the world.


    But most importantly, she felt like if she chose just one, the one that called out to her, and made her heart throb... she felt, no, she saw herself achieving greatness.


    "What... is this one, little brother?" She asked in a trance, the Mirror Orb, a reflective orb the size of a grown men''s fist, flying towards her palm.


    "It''s a treasure just like the rest of them, but more in tune with you." Damien said, and before he could finish, Anne already had him in an embrace.


    Her soft body squeezed hard at him, as all her warmth crept up onto his skin as boundless affection and familial love. "Thank you." She softly whispered.


    "..."


    For once, she didn''t take on her usual cheer-filled tone, but instead the sweet tone of an emotional big sister. "You''re the best." She added in a lower tone.


    And once more, Damien froze inck of response. The genuine love and affection was foreign to him now, especially as he spent almost a hundred years without such love.


    To add, ever since returning, he spent no time receiving it either. He was always busy, and he still was even now.


    Yet this warm feeling, it reminded him of everything he went through within the previous timeline, and of all that he had once lost at some point in time.


    And in this lifetime... ''I will not lose any of you. Not even if it means going against all Supreme Entities of this world.'' He thought, enjoying the brief moment of affection.


    "Alright alright Anne, let your brother be. Dinner is ready by now,e help us dish out the food." Esther said from the kitchen, and Anne responded.


    "Yes, mom. I''ll be back for you." She said to Damien, giving him an small peck on the cheek before skipping off in ecstacy.


    As for the other treasures, Damien put them in a storage pouch, and left it on her chair. Then he rubbed his cheek with his hand. ''Haaa~...I don''t hate this, though.'' He thought.


    David all the while, said nothing and just sat there in silence. He and his son, never clicked. At least they talk, banter and even joke, but emotionally wise..?

 Chapter 126 Playing With Destiny I

    ?Forget about it. Hence he kept quiet and just enjoyed the wholesome experience of siblings.


    Momentster, dinner was served and everyone began digging in. And once more, the food was amazing and of great taste.


    "Senior, once you get time, you should give the others their own treasures. They will need them in due time, and they should get ustomed to them. As for senior third, senior six and little nine, I''ll deal with them." Damien said.


    He was busy tasting more of Juliette''s dishes, and giving her his honest reviews. And the youngdy nodded at whatever he said. Even if it was a bad review.


    "I''ll do just that, little brother. Don''t worry, you can always rely on big sister. Remember that." Anne said, pushing her chest out in pride.


    "...Please don''t make me reconsider." Damien sighed, then a momentter, he waved his hand and a ck skin tight, well crafted body suit for women appeared.


    Speed Conduit (Unique)


    It had an amazing design, with thin lines shing lightly on it. "And mom, I''ve also got you this as well. I had a friend craft it ording to your aesthetic taste."


    He said, and the suit slowly flew towards Esther, who put her cutlery down. "Couldn''t you have done this after dinner?" She reprimanded, yet still took the gift.


    "Thank you Dammy. I love it." She bloomed at it. Especially as she felt close to it, and was very eager to give it a try.


    "...Old man, this one''s for you." He said, waving arge furry coat towards David. The coat was made up of bear skin, with its exterior having soft heavenly fur.


    Undaine Bear Coat (Unique)


    "...I honestly didn''t expect you''d have something for me too." David said in shock, taking the coat into his hands. He didn''t know how to feel right now.


    "If you don''t mind, I can take it back."


    "Ah, no. Thanks, I''ll keep it." He said. He mostly felt strange, but not ufortable. In fact, he felt more than aplished as a smile barely crept up on his face.


    "Juliette... I''ll leave yours for another day." Damien said, and Juliette obediently nodded. "It''s fine. I wouldn''t want to snatch away the spotlight when it''s not my day either way."


    She chuckled to herself, and Anne nodded. "She''s right, but I was really curious what you got her little brother. Is it a ring for marriage proposal? Huh, huh?"


    "Yes."


    "Wait, what? Seriously?!" She eximed in shock, but Juliette bitterly smiled. "He''s just joking senior sister."


    "He isn''t. They already signed a marriage contract of sorts." Esther said.


    "They also went on their honeymoon." David added.


    "Huh? Huuuuuh..?!"


    "Auntie!! Uncle!!"


    "Haaa~...I really, shouldn''t be here." Damien thought in absolute regret. At least, he was on the right track of bing absolute.


    Just not his desired one.


    ~~~


    After dinner, Anne bid farewell and left. Even when Esther suggested she stay for the night, she humbly denied and left after affectionately bidding everyone farewell.


    The Gray family then went to their own bidding, Juliette and David taking care of the table and the dishes, while Damien floated hundreds of meters within the sky.


    "..."


    He looked down on the Shade Stronghold, watching as the night lights beautified the entirety of their new environment.


    The Stronghold had five cities, the one Damien staying at being at the far back, and also close to the back walls. It was the main city, and also thergest out of them all.


    It was two to three hours away from the entrance, meaning that the Romanian Envoys were almost about to arrive.


    The other four cities were each located at cardinal directions of the Stronghold. And in between these cities were towns, viges and even danger zones such as the rizards homes.


    These creatures were like goblins, breeding like wild animals, and birthing a bunch every mating season. Worst of all, they had four mating seasons every year, which was quite the mystery.


    They were the major threat of this Stronghold, and also the major source of life essence at this current stage of epting The Primordial Source.


    And all of these, were protected by the circr walls that were tens of meters tall, and almost ten meters thick. Every kingdom had such walls protecting them, making it a Stronghold.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "...You seem bothered." An ethereal voice drifted towards him from behind. The voice was sweet, soothing and intoxicating... a heart''s perfect medicine. And a melody to the Heavens. "Are you okay?" It asked.


    "More or less." Damien replied, not turning around as he knew who it was that stood behind him. After all, how could he not tell the voice of his own woman?


    "More or less, he says." She floated besides him, and gave him a bright smile. "You seem more bothered to me, and less at peace. What''s wrong?"


    "It''s nothing." Damien said, looking deep into her heterochromic eyes, "I was just suddenly reminded of the previous timeline. And it made me wonder... what if¨C"


    "It won''t." Juliette said with utmost resolve, cutting off his words. "This timeline will definitely not be the same as your previous one. Believe me."


    "...That''s not what I was wondering."


    "Oh..." She blushed in embarrassment, and hurriedly covered her face with her hands. "I''m sorry, I was too forward with my conclusions."


    Damien subconsciously let out a smile as he gently brushed her hair. "But I believe you. I wont suffer in this timeline when I have you, and everyone by my side."


    "..."


    Juliette blushed harder at those words, and his hand gently brushing at her hair. And this went on for a while longer, until Damien added, "But the main reason I came here was to glimpse at the Fate and Destiny of our race."


    "Our Fate and Destiny?"


    "Yes. Do you want to stay with me?" Damien inquired, but Juliette lightly shook her head. "I... I can''t. I have something I''m working on, and... it''s a surprise."


    "...Alright. Suit yourself." He said, then added as he stopped brushing her hair, "I''ll join you for the night. Unless you''ll still be busy even by then?"


    "Nope. I''ll be avable for you."


    "Nothing will happen though."


    "Oh..." She pursed her lips, and cutely scoffed at him before floating back down.


    Damien watched her leave with a yful smile on his face. As for satisfying her demands, he''d do it when she was really looking forward to it, and not when she was joking.


    Like now. She also knew about this, which was why she had no qualms yet.


    After a while, Damien then focused on why he came here in the first ce. Taking a look at the destination that humanity would reach, and what paths it would take to reach it.


    "Alright, let''s go then, let''s begin." He said, activating the newly obtained Unique Ability, Prophet of Humanity.


    His eyes immediately burst out with pink and purple luminescence, that rivaled that of stars in its intensity and beauty.


    Following that, he suddenly saw the world in a different light. As pink mist. As purple luster. As vigorous particles. As quintessential strings. As beauty itself.


    "..."


    He found himself appearing within a dark zone full of only a minority of colorless, that dominated its interior. Yet that only added more to its beauty.


    And within the beauty he saw, the numerous quintessential strings interlinked and connected to one another in a unique pattern. While the source of each one was a human below him.


    ''So this is the path of each human? And them connecting and interlinking creates a path of this Stronghold''s humanity?'' He assessed, watching as a few of these quintessential strings had connections stretching beyond the Stronghold itself.


    The major ones being the Romanian Envoys, and the minor ones being people like the Adams household that had connections with other Kings and Queens of other Strongholds.


    ''Every interaction, leads to an influence on the fate of a person. And the influence affects the destiny of their path... I see.'' He thought in amazement.


    He knew Fate, Destiny and Karma, but they weren''t things he dwelled in too much. Hence learning more about them now, made him exim in shock, wonder and astonishment.


    But that was not all. The quintessential strings themselves were made up of Unique particles, that when Damien nced at them, felt like they were put together uniquely.


    And if he were to just... rearrange them, he felt like that string''s intended path... would be alteredpletely.


    ''So Fate can be rearranged, and once rearranged, it will redirect one''s destiny..?'' He mused, and taking this theory into practice.


    He vanished and reappeared besides a quintessential string that moved throughout the void like a snake. This path was of a homeless child, who ording to it, would lead her to die not long from now.


    The reason was because this quintessential string interlinked with another quintessential string, which belonged to a group of dangerous men around this region.


    But Damien didn''t focus on that though, and instead used his Mana to forcefully move one particle making up the quintessential string. He moved it, and put it in another location of the quintessential string.

 Chapter 127 Playing With Destiny II

    ?This made no change whatsoever. ''As expected, minor changes do nothing to alter fate.'' He thought, moving hundreds of particles, and randomly cing them anywhere on the quintessential string.


    And this finally caused it''s form to twist heavily, as if a sleeping snake had been startled awake.


    ...!!!


    The void he was within lightly quaked, as the quintessential string changed form, avoiding linking itself with the previous quintessential string.


    Instead, the former skipped over thetter, and connecting to an even brighter quintessential string, that had a bright visage, and sturdier particle formation.


    ''Adonis'' destined path... even if I desired to change it, it would be hard for me... Or not.'' He thought, moving on as his theory was proved.


    As for the young girl''s fate? It was now better than before, but Damien never thought about how this would not only affect her, but most definitely a lot of people.


    After all, for now, everything was still normal within this unique space. And he also had more to understand about Fate and Destiny before he could begin affecting it.


    At the same time, he saw how his Kismetic Essence went down from 74 units, to 67 units with just that action alone. It had previously increased by two the past two hours, but decreased by seven in seconds.


    ''It seems I can not y around for long.'' He thought to himself, watching the numerous quintessential stringse together in harmony.


    And what held all of these quintessential strings together, was a beautiful purple luster, that seemed denser on some areas, and lighter on other areas.


    ''...The luster of destiny''s love...'' Damien assessed, ''The greater the luster, the more one is loved by Destiny, and the more those around them will benefit.''


    And not too his surprise, there were many quintessential strings of purple lusters within this Stronghold. Adonis, Fiona, Sixth, Ninth, Be (Third) were some of the very few.


    Then there was also his parents, Juliette, and the other members of the Gray House.


    "..."


    Damien nodded, and finallyprehended enough about Fate and Destiny to try and manipte it on the surface level. In simple terms, in the material ne.


    His current body flew up higher and higher, and as he flew higher, the quintessential strings gathered closer and closer, whilst taking on a single direction.


    At some point, they connected so closely together, they seemed no different than a thick gigantic quintessential string of various luminosity.


    Damien finally stopped, but the thick quintessential string still went deeper and further into this unique void that he was in.


    ''It seems my mastery of both aspects hasn''t reach a far enough level for me to gaze deeper into humanity''s future.'' He thought, and focused on what he could currently affect.


    He wasn''t nning on seeing the future anyway. He knew how terrifying it was to do that, especially when some powerful gods could feel you looking at them from whichever point of time you were at.


    Let alone eldritch or outer beings. If he were to disturb one now, it would only make it more aware of this currently growing Realm, and him, as well.


    ''Safety first.'' He thought, watching the thick quintessential string that represented the path of the Shade Stronghold glow with golden glory and splendor.


    And on it, he saw multiple clouds of pink mist branching off, like some sort of branches on a stem. It was quite unique and beautiful. A one of a kind sight even for him.


    In some cases, this cloud of pink mist affected the luminosity of the path of this Stronghold. Sometimes it was brightened, sometimes it dulled out.


    And they were grouped up in segments. For example, a section of the quintessential string would have tens of branches on it. And from there, no more branches, then ahead, another segment of branches.


    ''So these are the parallel paths we would take while attempting to reach our final point of destiny..? And which one we will cross, depends on the interactions of all humans and their soroundings...''


    Damien assessed the current lowest segment, which was his current time period, taking a glimpse at the first branch. This one depicted a path where the Shade King took in the Romanian Envoys as hostages.


    This led to a future where he was secretly assassinated by the Gray House, then creating temporary discord within, and at some point, the eldest son killing the eldest sister.


    Only to be killed by Be when he attempted to kill Adriana. Adriana then took the throne, and tookmand of the whole city since Adonis and Alonis had yet to mature to manage the kingdom.


    Unfortunately, she couldn''t even prove herself as queen, before the wolves took the opportunity to swarm them, and almost 70% of the entire Stronghold was wiped out.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    They won, true, but at great cost. Adonis and Fiona werepletely affected, negatively at that, as they both lost loved ones in just a span of a few months time.


    Meanwhile, Adriana died, resulting in Be dying, which also caused Anne''s death. The connection of fate was terrifying.


    ''...''


    Damien stretched out his hand and cut off the entire path from the system, making it drift into nothingness momentster. ''...It seems, nothing is ever perfect.''


    He thought, moving onto the second branch. He was not going to let even one amongst all thirteen branches off, until he found one linear to his goals.


    And after an arduous task of skimming, Damien finally found a path that was at least better off than the previous seven paths.


    It was where the Shade King had by chance left, just as the Romanian Envoys arrived. This put them in an awkward position, as they were guests, but were unaware of their positions.


    But Fiona still heavily interacted with Adonis, and they continued to n out what they would do as King candidates, and also what Damien''s view on them was currently at.


    The Stronghold experienced tremendous growth under their secret management for the first two months. But problem would always bloom, as the eldest son used this to target Adonis.


    He imed that Fiona was here to secretly take over their home, and Adonis was helping her seed. Which branded Adonis as a betrayer.


    The eldest daughter joined him, but Alonis also joined Adonis, creating two major factions within the Stronghold. Adriana taking on a neutral standpoint.


    By the beginning of the fourth month, the wolves attacked, and after half a year of arduous battles, only 50% of the Shade Stronghold was lost, that including the eldest son''s faction.


    Alonis wiped them out amidst their battle against the wolves. The decision was cruel, but it was vengeance, as they had done the same more than once.


    Afterwards, everything went almost fine, and yeah, Damien stopped watching from there. ''At least, this is much better than the others... And the wolves. Maybe I should deal with them now?''


    ''They are bing a major threat in all paths.'' He thought, unfortunately, even the current him, felt extreme danger by just taking a look at the interior of their valley.


    It was a strange feeling, as he knew only gods, and those favored by destiny, would make him feel this sense of danger.


    But his view immediately changed when he viewed the ninth path. And even after watching the rest of them, he still felt like it was the best choice.


    And without hesitation, he cut them all off, including the eight path, leaving behind the ninth one. ''This... hopefully, this takes the intended path I desire.''


    He jumped into the pink cloud of mist, ready to manually manipte fate and destiny. After all, him hoping, didn''t mean he had nothing else he could try.


    No. There was still more he could do.


    He arrived within the sameplex zone of quintessential strings linking and interacting with one another. But unlike before, they were illusory this time.


    "..."


    Damien watched all of them briefly, then checked his reserves of Kismetic Essence, and found that wiping out the twelve branches cost him 36 units in total.


    He was now down to 31 units left. And he believed that they were enough.


    ''First, let us give the Shade King an epiphany.'' He thought, burning out five units of Kismetic Essence to take the idea that the said man would have days from now, and projecting them to him now as a day dream of sorts.


    ''Anytime from now, he will see this as some sort of a great idea, and would definitely implement it.'' He assessed, making sure to add glimpses of what path such a decision would result to.


    But that was not all, he continued to burn out his Kismetic Essence to manipte everything.


    He made sure that the Shade King would not be able to meet the Romanian Envoys tonight, and would deal with them tomorrow.


    He burned each and every unit of Kismetic Essence, to make this already great path, to even be greater than before.


    He did not try to change the misunderstandings that would arise, the rivalries, the battles, none major. He just affected anything that would result in them losing more than necessary.

 Chapter 128 Playing With Destiny III

    ?And beknowwst to him, the cloud of pink mist representing this path became even brighter and more luminous, while the thick quintessential string it was connected to, shone brighter in return.


    The Fate of the Stronghold was changed. It''s Destiny was uplifted. And it''s Fortune erupted to unforseen heights.


    And all because of a single human.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ You''ve burned out all of your Kismetic Essence reserves, and can no longer be epted within the Void of Destinies ]


    [ To be epted, attain mastery in thew of Destiny or Fate or Dreams or Karma. Or obtain more Kismetic Essence ]


    [ By cutting off twelve paths of humanity''s Destiny, you have thrown them into nothingness, as the Void of Destiny devours them ]


    [ The Void of Destiny is pleased with your sacrifice, and has be a part of you as the "Void Embodiment", birthing the Extra Ability, "Nonexistent Void Physiology" ]


    [ Your Void Law attainments have increased slightly. You are now an aspect of the Void of Destiny, a great representations of it. The higher your mastery, the higher your embodiment of all two Voids ]


    [ As an aspect of the Void of Destiny, the devoured Destiny of Humanity has returned to you, increasing your own individual Destiny ]


    "..."


    Damien stood shocked, and amidst his shock, the unique domain he was within, immediately shattered into mirror-like fragments, which blended in with the natural environment secondster.


    But that did not reduce his shock one bit. "...You... I give up..." He said, deciding to just take a rest instead of saying anything unnecessary to The Primordial Source.


    [ ... ]


    But The Primordial Source was a victim in this case. Though it knew something like that would happen, it didn''t do it on purpose... At least, it didn''t do anything now.


    Nothing could be said about before.


    At the same time as this entire experience took ce, countless miles away, within arge boisterous city, vaster than humanity''s entire range of influence, a tall temple could be seen at the center.


    Within the temple, at a certain region, a woman opened her eyes in shock. "The Void of Destiny has been invaded once more." She said, her words light and casual, but her tone was absolutely intoxicating.


    She wore a white cloth that slithered all over her perfectplexion, intricately covering her important bits. Her hair was a mixture of purple and pink, and her eyes the same, with the luster of countless stars.


    She raised her head to look up at the night sky, a look of weariness on her face. "These children are getting out of handtely." She sighed to herself.


    But just as she was about to brush it off as nothing but an everyday urrence of someone glimpsing at Fate and Destiny, she was abruptly startled, "Impossible... Impossible!!"


    She disappeared out of this section of the temple, as what she felt, was more than just a visit. She felt the overall Destiny of the entire continent fluctuate!!


    She reappeared within the Void of Destiny, and immediately transformed into a gigantic dragon made out of pink mist and purple luster, with a bone structure made out of the glow as the quintessential strings.


    Her size then grewrge, eclipsing the countless quintessential strings around her, and viewing them as thick andrge quintessential strings representing paths ofrge droves of beings.


    Yet her size still grewrger, eclipsing even the quintessential stringsrger the one Damien affected, and even went as far as eclipsing even ones so vast, they were billions if not trillions of times thicker.


    Until she was below a quintessential string that was the overall convergence of all the quintessential strings she affected. "No way... No way is this possible..."


    Her eyes widened in shock, as she could see the quintessential string representing their continent''s path of Destiny, shine in such great luminosity, she almost went blind.


    "What is the meaning of this?!" She eximed, using all her strength and authority to glimpse at any changes made in the past seconds.


    And her consciousness was sent deep within the continental quintessential string of Destiny, and all the way towards a small quintessential string of Destiny, and the alterations made to it.


    She saw as multiple small paths in the form of clouds of pink mist being cut off, until only one remained. And then saw how it''s pink luster grew denser and brighter.


    "This person has quite the effect on Fate and Destiny. Almost to the extent of thews themselves. But the problem still remains... who?" She thought with a frown.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Indeed, who was it? What race were they? What motives do they have? She wondered about all of these, but unfortunately got no answers.


    There was no one where the process too ce. It was as if nature just took its course, or more likely, "It''s as if the Will of the Void of Destiny itself is up to something. But what..?" She thought.


    It''s been ages since she''s been this clueless, and at unease with a situation. And through experience, she knew that nothing good woulde out of ignoring it.


    She did attempt to change everything made with her power and authority, yet no matter what changes she attempted to make, they all backfired. ''There''s... Universal Rules pushing me back..? What Ability is this? To be able to pull at the Universal Rule of Providence like this with such extricacy... I''m astonished...''


    She thought, believing that the Will of the Void of Destiny was definitely involved. There was no other exnation she could think off.


    She reverted back to her usual size in instants, and disappeared from the Void of Destiny, appearing back within the temple, directly at her domain of influence.


    "Is anybody there..?" She called out, looking up at the night sky once more. Her domain was unique, as it had a vast opening above it, which warped space, and illustrated it at a closer angle. Like a telescope.


    "Yes, mydy." A woman cloaked in ck appeared, lowering her head in respect and reverence towards the woman before her.


    "It''s you, thank the supremes." The woman in white said, then added, "There''s been a slight urrence at the southern edge of the continent, and I''d like you to go and take a look."


    "How long do you think it will take you to reach there with your natural speed?" She asked, and the bowing woman immediately responded. "If I travel at full speed and use my Runes, I''ll take six months in total."


    "Six months even for you? Maybe I should go myself? No, you''re way faster than me regardless, so it''s a no go... Haaa~ This continent is quite vast its stressful at times. And it''s still growing." The woman in white said.


    "..."


    The other kept quiet, and retained her posture. The status between them remained as such until a few momentster, when the former added, "Then it''s fine. You can leave... And take care of yourself, child." She added softly.


    "I will not disappoint." The former said, disappearing in a sh of silvery light, leaving the temple once more in silence. "I mean it, do take care of yourself, Runia."


    She added with a weared out tone. Her job was stressful, but her children were more so.


    ~~~


    At the same time, back within the Shade Stronghold. The Shade King, Allianz, sat upon his throne with a light frown of contemtion on his face.


    He was just sitting by idly, and suddenly had a wild idea pertaining to his situation, and that of his kingdom, his Stronghold.


    "..."


    He was a man of less words, and more of action. And taking into ount his busy schedule as a King, he was never avable for his women, let alone his children.


    Thus the current state of affairs of the Adams household. Yet due to his strength and health, he was still quite far from retiring from his position... but personally, the man desired rest.


    Rest from the mental grinding politics, rest from the two-faced ministers and authorities, rest from the demanding people, rest from the ever growing problems.


    Just... rest.


    Regrettably, he was not close with his children, and hence never knew their characters or future aspirations. Hence why he never chose a sessor as of now.


    And the idea that bloomed within his mind right now, would be the solution, the key, the path, to his long desired rest.


    "If I implement this strategy, not only will I learn more about my children, I''ll also be able to choose a sessor that wants what''s best for the people." He thought out loud, bathing under the light from the moon.


    "Not only that..." He stood up from his throne, and walked down, "...But I would also be able to use this time to achieve most of my dreams as well. If, I retire."


    He walked through the dark room, all the way towards one of the many windows showing the perfect picturesque scenery of the city. "Only... if I could retire."


    He repeated his thoughts in longing, but at this time, his heart suddenly beat at a much higher frequency than before, prompting him to clutch his chest in pain. "Argh..!! What''s wrong? What''s the meaning of this..?!"

 Chapter 129 Death..?

    ?He roared out in pain, as his chest kept trying to skip out of his chest. "Is it my injuries of war..? I thought... they had... healed... u¨C" His vision went blurry and he copsed down on the ground.


    Thest thing he saw were his guards rushing towards him in a frenzy, calling out loudly. But the only thing he heard were ringing sounds and nothing more.


    Then it cked out, and he became unconscious right there on the cold floor, under the embrace of the moonlight.


    ~~~


    Adison''s mansion.


    The young prince was having dinner with his mother, the one woman he would never stop appreciating. A day unique considering that it was her birthday, and she paid her son, thr only boy carrying her bloodline, a visit.


    With such a special asion, they was no way she was missing out on this. ''It''s been a long time since I''ve been spoiled by my son and his love for me. I cannot let it pass me by.'' She thought, looking at him with a smile of content.


    ''My baby, you''ve grown up to be a young fine man, and mommy is proud of you. On the other hand, we as your parents are growing quite old... I hope you give me grandchildren before and expire, fufu.'' Her thoughts, continued in serenity.


    The special celebration had just begun, and they were not even ten minutes into it. But they were beyond happy nheless.


    But unfortunately, misfortune always strikes when people are at their most joyful moments, as a bad event took ce just as they were about to continue to celebrate.


    "Your highness, your highness..!!" A guard budged in, panicked and out of breathe, only to stumble and crumble down right on the doorway of the dining room.


    "Sir, what''s the matter?" Adonis and E were startled and hurriedly stood up in shock, rushing towards the fallen guard in concern.


    Yet the man cared less about his state of well being, and incoherently blurted out, "His majesty... His majesty has fallen sick..!! He''s, he''s dying..!!"


    "What?!" Both mother and son eximed in fright, color draining off from theirplexions, making them look as white as nk papers. "What did you say? Please repeat that."


    Adonis urged, his wordsced with disbelief and unprecedented shock. Most important, panic. "I''ve heard that the king... the king is dying and being tended by¨C"


    The guard blurted out the words he heard, still in shock and out of breathe. Yet Adonis did not wait any longer and burst off out of the room at full sprint.


    "ADONIS!!" E cried out, helping the guard during the process and running after him. She picked up her dress into her hands, took off her shoes, and sprinted.


    The scene was kind ofical, but also appealing. Yet nobody focused on that, as the current topic was too dire to not take serious.


    She arrived outside, and yelled at the coachman as fast as she could, "Sir coachman, sir coachman!! Please, hurry!! To the castle, to the castle, now!!"


    "Y¨CYes madam!!" The young coachman forgot to even greet her, and just flew onto the carriage and drove off right when E jumped in.


    A moment ago, he was just marveling at the top speed that Adonis achieved when he rushed out of the castle. It was so fast, he couldn''t even call out to him.


    But now, seeing as E, the mother, was also in such a rush, he guessed that the matter at hand was not a light topic. ''What, what is going on? Is it a terrorist attack..?!'' He panicked, rushing his horses that ran like lightning.


    In a few minutes, they reached the castle''s entrance, snd there, they found Adonis out of breathe, and another two carriages that just made their stop.


    From one, came out Alison, who seemed worried and in panic. "Adison, Adison, are you okay? What were you thinking man? How can you rush out such a distance on foot?!"


    But it seems his worry and panic weren''t aligned with those of the others. "I''m... okay... don''t... don''t worry... about me..." Adison forced out his replies amidst swallowingrge breathes of air.


    Alison sighed in frustration patting Adison''s back, in attempt to help him get his cool and bearing. ''Seriously, brother, you should learn to control your emotions.'' He thought in even more frustration.


    At the same time, from the other carriage, came out Be, who professionally did a courtesy to everyone present. "Greetings your highnesses, greetings madam E, greetings madam Hannah."


    She said, and the others briefly greeted her back, but at this point, E, now sure that her son was okay, was rushing deeper within the interior of the castle. Hannah rushing behind her.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Hm..? Wait, Mrs Emily, where''s is big sister Adriana?" Adison realized that no one else was within his older sister''s carriage, either than Be herself.


    "My apologizes, your highness, her highness was not feeling well today, and chose to rest for the night. But she has sent me in her stead, and requested that you write down a letter to her, about tonight''s meeting." She said, keeping up a professional attitude.


    "Ah, I see... but, is she going to be okay? It''s not a serious matter, is it?"


    "None to that level, your highness. She should should up by tomorrow morning, if not the next morning after."


    "I see..."


    "If you''re so worried about mydy''s health, I do not mind giving you reports on her current state of health every day, until she is okay, your highness." She suggested, and he nodded in appreciation.


    "Thank you, I would really appreciate such act of kindness." He said, then left with Alonis, both of them literally rushing towards their father''s living courters.


    "..."


    Meanwhile, Be remained standing for a little while longer. ''Mydy, is this really...'' She sighed, cutting off her thoughts before they could continue.


    She was but a servant, and would do as told. Anything else, and she would not entertain it, as long as Adriana remained safe and sound. And also satisfied.


    She then went after them, her pace collected, her thoughts idle. The lives and deaths of anyone else within this family, having no effect on her heart. One born extremely ice cold, with but a hint of silver and gold.


    Meanwhile, the siblings finally arrived at the door of their father''s room, and there, they found their oldest sister and older brother already pacing back and forth.


    E was also here, alongside the rest of their mothers. They could not miss out on such an important matter, after all, they still cared about Allianz, unlike Adriana.


    "I don''t understand. What''s the meaning of this? Suddenly dropping down?" Their oldest brother, Axel, inquired with a light frown of displeasure on his face, his pacing increasing.


    The same question tormented almost everyone''s mind at the same time. How could something like this happen? Especially to their father out of all people.


    "I think we should properly interrogate the guards." Amy suggested, and being the eldest sister of the family, her words were taken to consideration.


    Plus, they made sense. Hence the two guards personally watching over the throne room everyday, where called over, and they hurriedly kneeled before them.


    "What happened? Tell the truth, and maybe you shall be spared." Amy said as a greeting, her words cold and murderous to the bone.


    The two guards felt their blood run cold, and they hurriedly forced out replies ording to what they saw. "Mydy, your highnesses, we are not sure of what truly happened. It all began¨C"


    "Cut the crap and off to the main point. What did you do to my father." She frowned, and squinted her eyes at the two of them. The others watched in silence, and said, nor did anything to help.


    Hence the pressure for the two only umted to unforseen heights, and they almost could not speak. They felt all the words being formed within their mind, sinking down to their stomach never to rise up again.


    "So? Why can''t you speak? Guilt caught you strangled up?" And Amy kept the pressure rising, not giving them a chance to formte anything at the moment.


    "My... mydy, we are just guards, and have no contact with the king. All we saw was that he stood up to admire the moonlight through the window like everyday, only to clutch his chest in pain." The second guard forced out such words, then the first hurriedly added.


    He took the opportunity to shift the me away from them. "The¨Cthe chefs, the maids. They... they are more likely to be the suspects, mydy. Please forgive ourck of knowledge in this matter."


    "They are speaking the truth, elder sister." Adonis finally took the moment to help the two. He had long desired to help, but felt like he would only make himself seem suspicious by shifting the me away from them.


    But now that they brought out a logical reply themselves, he could help them to an extent. "Indeed, I see no w within their words." Alison also decided to support them.

 Chapter 130 False Alarm I

    ?"Then let us call the chief maid and the king''s chef." Axel also nodded, forcing Amy to agree with them as well. "The two of you... can leave. But you''re not off the list yet." She added.


    "Thank you, mydy."


    "Thank you, mydy."


    The two bowed once more and left the area in a hurry. After a while, the ones bowing before everyone were twodies of varying beauty. Yet each of them, were as pale as dead bodies.


    "I won''t beat around the bush, so be outright with me. Tell me the truth, and maybe, just maybe, we might not make this hard for you." Amy said after a moment of silence, right when the two servants were about to break down.


    Her words were calm, and her expression serene, but her re was full of hate and anger. And everyone could feel it straight to their bones, let alone the two of them.


    "Mydy, I am not aware of what is going on. I have nothing to do with¨C"


    "I don''t want to hear that. It''s either you answer what I ask, or keep quiet and go to hell." And as usual, Amy did not allow anyone below her to speak as they pleased. Especially so, when her question wasn''t being answered.


    "Why don''t we calm down, Amy? This situation needs delicate interventions." Axel smiled lightly and diffused his younger sister''s words, who reluctantly had to agree and calm down.


    "Now that''s more like it. Head maid, we will deal with you first, I hope you don''t mind." He kept his smile and took the situation under his control.


    "Yes, your highness." The head maid nodded at his words, and took a deep breathe as to calm down her nerves.


    "For starters, do you know the maids that were responsible of serving the king, and preparing the table today?" He asked, and she lightly nodded her head. "Very good. Now, are you sure they would never do such a thing as to poison the king?"


    "Under normal circumstances, no, your highness. But if perhaps, they were threatened or under special circumstances, I am afraid I do not know." She said.


    "Are you iming that one of us here would force you guys to poison my father?" Amy''s anger piled up even more as she queried.


    But the head maid did not say anything, and only shook her head. Instead, the one to speak was still Axel, "Now now, she does have a point. So let''s loosen up, shall we?" He said, his smile getting even brighter.


    "Whatever." Amy clicked her tongue in annoyance. She knew that Axel was enjoying the opportunity to make her out as the bad person, and him as the good guy.


    "Thank you." He said, and that only drove more of her anger to boil. Yet he ignored her, "I see your point, head maid. Alright, you''re dismissed. Please take care, and, our apologies for wasting your time like this."


    "...It''s my pleasure to have a conversations with you instead, your highness. Please excuse me." She stood up, performed a noble bow, and left right afterwards.


    "Why did you let her go?" Amy interrogated, and he casually responded. "We cannot keep her here, when she was physically not present. Otherwise, what makes you less of suspect than her, since you also weren''t here moments ago?"


    "..."


    Amy was left shocked and speechless, hence her pulling back on the matter. Adison and Alison also frowned, as those words made sense... They weren''t off the hook either.


    Axel looked down on the king''s chef, a smile of nonchnce on his handsome face. "You''re the king''s chef, are you aware of that?" He asked, his tone implying that he was not conducting an interrogation of sorts.


    "Yes." But she responded nheless, fear slowly creeping onto her bones regardless of how sure she was that she was innocent.


    After all, cooking food was a risk in and of itself. One can just make a mistake, and create poison instead. Or on the off chance, she gave the king something his body had negative reactions towards to.


    Even if it wasn''t directly her fault, she would still get fired. Or maybe even be hanged for attempted murder of the king.


    "Marvelous. Now what did you give to the king this evening, after dinner?" Yet Axel made it seem as if all her worries were for naught. His tone was quite gentle and soothing.


    "Nothing, your highness. His majesty had no contact with me, nor my staff, right after he had had his dinner." She responded as such, and he nodded in understanding.


    "Then it can not be an error that led to food poisoning, since we as the family, are okay." He said, then added "And it can not be direct poisoning either, as the food testers are not dead yet."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Everyone nodded in understanding, and the king''s chef felt therge weight on her shoulders as heavy as a ton, decrease.


    "But, that doesn''t mean you do not have any tricks up your sleeve. After all, with how everything is bing strange and supernatural, whose to say that you can do a miracle?" His smile brightened.


    People could now cut down buildings, shape nature, summon creatures, and even heal wounds or regrow limbs, whose to say one cannot create a unique kind of poison?


    "No, your highness¨C"


    "Shh. It''s alright. Juste clean." He knelt down, and used his fingers to lift her head to look at him, straight directly within his eyes.


    The king''s chef was a woman in her forties, almost the same age as their father. She was a bit haggered, and weared out by life, but her beauty still remained the same.


    But at this moment, when her eyes lined themselves with those of Axel, she felt a chill so cold, it froze her bones, run down her spine. Those eyes, they werepletely dead, with zero emotions, contradicting his smile and tone.


    Coldness no man, could imagine a normal person could exude. And as frail as she was, her heart froze and sank to the deepest pits of hell.


    He then smiled even brighter as he whispered to her, "Come out clean,and admit your sin. Who knows, if you do, you might just save your family, your friends, and most importantly... my time. Or else..."


    ...!!!


    Her heart sank even lower than the pits of hell, as at some point, she couldnt even feel her breathe, but only his intoxicating voice. "Now,e clean and admit your sins. You''ve killed the king, didn''t you..?"


    She tried to deny, but her voice failed her, and only her thoughts rang out. Yet even then, they were easily overpowered by his lustrous words of authority. ''No, I¨C''


    "You killed the king, didn''t you?"


    ''Your highness, I¨C''


    "You, killed, the king, did you not?"


    Her world suddenly went dark, and then, she was presented with countless vivid images of her poisoning the king, over and iver again. Everything felt real, and true.


    Her senses then returned, and her eyes dulled out. The interaction from the whisper and her mental breakdown onlysting a few seconds. "...Yes, I''ve killed the king." She blurted out.


    "Oh? Really now? How nice of you toe out clean. Well then, that''s decided." He stood up and looked back at everyone and added, "You''ve heard her right? It seems I''ve got the deed done."


    "What... did you whisper to her?" Adonis frowned, finding g the whole situation quite unsettling for him. But Alonis sighed as he replied, "Just him using threats."


    "So he threatened her to take the me? Eldest brother, that''s not how we solve situations." His frown grew more and more unsatisfied, but Alonis responded once more. "I wouldn''t put it like that."


    "What do you mean?" Adonis was surprised, and so was Amy, who was about to snicker at Axel for his underhanded tactics.


    "He only told her how if she didn''te clean, and was found to be at fault, he would simply kill her, her friends and her family. Detestful, buy efficient nheless." Alonis exined what he heard, andprehended.


    "...But that''s cruel." Adonis frowned once more, yet Axel shrugged his shoulders with a casual smile. "It worked, and always does. Let''s wait to hear about father''s situation, shall we? And as for you¨C"


    Everyone turned back to the king''s chef, whose thoughts were here, but her body not. ''E¨CEveryone, please, please don''t believe me!! I... I don''t know... what I''m saying...'' Her soul cried for justice, yet to no avail.


    For her body''s response was to tremble in guilt and shame, no words being said. Axel then continued, "¨CStand by. Just in case father is still alive, just show yourself out, and never appear before our faces. Clear?"


    "...Yes, your highness. Please, excuse me." She forcefully said, yet no one thought strange of her tone. They believed she was being strangled by immense guilt or regret.


    Everyone then stood aside, and waited for the door to their father''s room to be opened. And they did not wait for long, as the interrogations had wasted quite a lot of time.

 Chapter 131 False Alarm II

    ?From behind the door, an aged old man appeared, a smile of relief on his face. He was the best medic of this stronghold, being a grand master professional doctor.


    And when he obtained the Unique ss, World Healer, he used his deep experience and knowledge to gain Life Essence, and was now an Advanced Profession.


    And he now held Skills to help him do what he believed he was born to do. To heal the sick, and help the wounded, like right now.


    "Doctor Evans, how is my father?" Axel, as the eldest out of his siblings, came forward and asked in worry. His expression flipped so fast that, nobody saw how he did.


    The man in nature, sighed, but the sigh was one of relief instead of despondency. "Your father is alright. It was only a heavy wound from his previous records as a war general, rising up due to some strange errors within his body."


    "Like food poisoning?" Adonis hurriedly intervened, still not convinced about the whole poisoning matter.


    "...Could be. I will make a proper analysis with the king once he wakes up. Until then, I''d advice everyone to return back to their abodes, and should return tomorrow." Doctor Evans suggested wisely.


    "Your father your highnesses, and your husband mydies, will be alright. All he needs tonight is rest, and he would appreciate it if he got it right about now. Thank you." The old man ended his reported professionally, and everyone sighed in relief.


    "Oh, my Allianz, if not death by age, you will sooner orter be the death of me." E sighed in relief and copsed down almost fainting. "Mother!!" Adonis rushed over to her aid, and she smiled at him. "It''s alright, my son. I''m just tired and relieved."


    "Yeah, but I''ll still take you home. Eldest brother, eldest mother, eldest sister, second mother, third mother, Alonis, fifth mother, please enjoy your night. Mrs Ellenton, Mr Evans, you too." He bid farewell to everyone, being the first to leave.


    "...Mother, we should go too." Alonis said a momentter, and his mother, Hannah, nodded back. And together, they left, Alison properly guiding her out as they hurriedly off to catch on with Adonis and E.


    The only ones left were Axel, his mother Georgia, Amy, her mother Diana, Mrs Ellenton the king''s chef and Mr Evans, the kingdom''s best doctor.


    "Then I''ll be taking my leave as well, if you don''t mind, your highnesses, mydies." Mr Evans said as well, picking up his brief case and medicinal bag and left.


    "Take care, Mr Evans." Axel waved him off until the old man disappeared along the corridors, and then turned to look at L Ellenton, the king''s chef, and likewise, the best chef in town.


    "You can take your leave. Even if by chance you are not at fault, do understand us, okay? We are only being careful." He said to her, and she nodded her head before turning around to leave, like an obedient puppy.


    After she was gone, and the four of them were left alone, Amy sighed, "A false rm it seems." She said, her words followed by a click of her tongue.


    "Now now, be careful with what you say. What if someone is watching, and misinterprets your words, my dear Amy." Axel said with a smile, followed by a chuckle when Amy threw him a dissatisfied re.


    "What now? Your father is okay, and everything will go back to normal soon enough." Georgia said, and they all froze to think about everything that urred.


    Until a momentter when Hannah suddenly spoke, her tone a bit nervous, "What if, what if we... you know." She said, using her hand to gesture at everything that she was trying to saying.


    "You mean...!!" Georgia widened her eyes in shock, at the clear sphemy that her dearest sister was suggesting. But following such shock, was a smile of contempt. "You really are a bitch, sister." She added.


    And Diana harrumphed at her, not saying anything anymore. The grudge between them was still warm even now.


    "Now now, I don''t think something like that is necessary." Axel kept his smile all the while, and spoke to take control of the situation once more. He then added, "The old man has already shown weakness, his rule is bound to be shaken."


    "And sooner orter, he will choose a sessor, or he will lose everything that''s important to him, to all those untrustworthy retainers acting as City Lords." He concluded, taking the lead of leaving.


    The other three followed after him, his mother keeping quiet, but Diana and Amy frowned. "The cities are far apart from each other. Even if the other cities wanted to revolt and fight back, they could not do it as fast as possible, you know." The former said.


    "Don''t worry about that, Diana. I have it under control." Axel said with a chuckle, then added, "I am confident I can take control of the situation, and create a tform where we will fight fair and square to who will be king, my dearest sister, Amy."


    "..."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "..."


    They finally arrived outside the castle, and Axel led his mother towards their carriage. Once they were in, he waved at the two outside and added, "Just wait and see. You won''t definitely hate the idea, that''s for sure."


    "..."


    "..."


    Amy and Diana did not reply and watched the carriage leave, and once it was gone, Amy clicked her tongue once more in annoyance and left. Diana shook her head, and looked back in worry. ''This could''ve been avoided, had you just put in a bit of effort, Allianz. Now look...''


    She thought with a sigh, following after her daughter. Meanwhile, within Axel''s carriage, the young man kept his smile and told his mother. "Once we are home, rece Mrs Ellenton with a new chef from the main castle that we know. Do it under the pretense of; filtering out possible threats for the king''s well being."


    "...Ill do just that." Georgia nodded, not affected much by her his tone nor attitude. Nor did she question hismands. "Very good." He chuckled to himself, admiring the full moon outside the window. ''...How beautiful.'' Hemented.


    At the same time, still within the castle, Adonis leaned on a pir within the hallway, and had his eyes closed. The dark obscured his face, but one could subtly feel that the young man... was burning with rage.


    "Whoo~... It''s alright. Mrs Ellenton, is she really okay?" He asked, and from within the darkness, Alonis sighed as well. "Not necessarily so. I think her mentality was affected."


    "Magically?"


    "Could be. Our eldest brother is not one to be lightly thought of." Alonis said, then turned back to leave, "Nor is our eldest sister. In fact, I don''t trust Adriana either... The only one I feel secure around, is you, brother."


    "..."


    "So please take care of yourself. Don''t trust others easily, that includes me and father, only believe in yourself. I wouldn''t be happy if you were to die... I definitely wouldn''t." He repeated, finally taking his leave.


    "..."


    Adonis remained behind, and sighed once more. "Did you... hear anything they said, Mrs Nine?" He asked, his voice directed towards the darkness.


    "Yes." And a response came as fast, prompting the young man to sigh with a heavy heart. "Is their content aligned with what I''m currently thinking?" He queried.


    He had a subtle feeling that his eldest brother and eldest sister were up to no good. He did not understand the feeling, but it was definitely haunting him.


    His Unique Ability, Born King, was also ringing rms to him. One of it''s effects allowed him to have feelings depending on the well being of his path of king hood.


    If he made a wrong decision that would affect that path, he would feel ufortable. And if he made a positive decision, he would feel happy all of a sudden.


    And now, he felt mixed emotions. Both happy, and sad at the same time. A cryptic feeling he never felt before. ''What''s wrong with me? If what I''m thinking is going to happen, then... why am I happy?''


    "It is, more or less, aligned with it." Ninth said, appearing out of the darkness and standing before one of the many pirs. She then looked out of the moon, Aldo admiring it. "Today''s moon, looks pretty. So pretty, it hides away the vile evil hiding behind the veils of darkness."


    She left such words, disappearing out of sight as a puff of smoke. Adonis came out of the darkness and stood where she stood, looking out of the window as well, "Pretty, huh? Vile evil, hiding behind thr veil of darkness..."


    He murmured her words, finally taking his leave. He wasn''t sure what was happening, but whatever it was, he would make sure that by tomorrow... he''ll be prepared for it.


    ''Happy or sad, it doesn''t matter as long as I be king, and ultimately, the emperor of the whole of humanity... if possible, the emperor of the world, the emperor of existence.'' He thought, his will hardening itself to be indomitable.

 Chapter 132 Proving Oneself

    ?Afterwards, Adonis met up with Be, and gave her a hand written letter about almost everything that took ce, rted only to their father.


    As for his suspicion concerning his two eldest siblings, he kept that to himself. But, not like Be didn''t know that much with how professional she was with her work.


    The next day, Adonis woke up and prepared himself, before rushing towards training. Training took ce as always, and his Life Essence was subtly increasing.


    Increasing Life Essence didn''t necessarily have to be through killing only, one could do it by simply following through their ss'' definition and path of progress.


    Swordsman could train in swordsmanship. By bing an Apprentice Swordsman, they could obtain enough Life Essence to reach that realm. Of course, step by step.


    And if one was originally a Swords master, in due time, their Life Essence would match up to their Realm of attainment, and so will their Realms of power as long as tbey kept swinging their sword.


    Take Sixth for example, he was a peak swords grandmaster, and with the introduction of Mana and sses, he had a sudden epiphany and broke through, attaining nigh godly level swordsmanship.


    And throughout the months he was training Adonis, his Life Essence has taken him to the great master realm, and he was still progressing, almost reaching above level 40, the realm of grandmasters.


    But either than, there were also minor ways of obtaining Life Essence, though slow. And that method, was to do what one loved to do, or to fulfill their talents to their peak.


    For example, a mage with swordsmanship talent, could obtain Life Essence by training in the way of the sword, despite being a mage. Or vice versa.


    Or maybe through cooking, teaching, and many more auxiliary actions that one at least had talent in. And Adonis, was one such man, being talented with the sword.


    Not only that, his ss desired him to master as many arts as possible, that including swordsmanship to be a true emperor. He also obtains Life Essence by managing his mansion, let alone the whole Stronghold.


    And that being the case, he''s obtained plenty of Life Essence during the months of training. At most, within the thousands.


    Keng~


    The young man blocked a heavy blow directed at him, yet the strength of a great master easily overpowered him and pressed him down.


    "That''ll be enough for today, take a rest, and continue by yourself." Sixth said, turning around to leave. ''Not bad. The kid is already beyond the Apprentice stage by leagues. In fact, if careful enough, he could survive against a master swordsman in pure techniques alone.'' He thought.


    "Thank you, sir." Adonis lightly bowed in thanks, a thing he made a norm by now. "Yeah, whatever." Sixth didn''t turn around and waved him, disappearing in a sh.


    "..."


    Afterwards, Adonis picked himself up, and began his own self training. He had enough Life Essence to directly reach level 21 (master), but he still felt like hecked enough experience.


    For now, he waited. He waited to see what their father''s overall condition and decision would be from now on, before moving forward.


    And thus, his training continued. By nine in the morning, he was done with his training, by ten, he was done with cleaning himself up, by twelve, he and his mother left the mansion, and went straight towards the castle.


    "It''s okay, Adi, everything will be okay. Everything will be okay." E said, repeating himself while holding his hands. Adonis smiled bitterly and let her be. ''Mom, you are the one worried, though.'' He thought.


    A few minutester, they arrived at the castle''s gate, and got off the carriage. At the same time, they saw another carriage, one they did not recognize belonging to the other mansions, stop by before them.


    "Did father... have guests?" Adison inquired, and E gave a bitter smile in response. "You know I''m the least to know anything about your father''s business, Adison." She said.


    "Figures." And he chuckled to that, then decided to ignore the whole matter at hand. But just as he turned around and was about to leave, a cheerful voice he had yet to forget, rang out behind him.


    "Adison? Adison!!" Fiona walked down from the carriage, wearing a red proper dress that held her figure tightly, and made her seem more beautiful than usual. Especially the light make up she also wore.


    She looked quite angelic.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Hm? Isn''t that... Mrs... Mrs Fiona..?" The young man widened his eyes in shock, almost lost for words at Fiona''s beauty and elegance. "Yup, that''s me. Funny meeting you here, though."


    Fiona said, standing right before Adison and E. And uponying her eyes on thetter, she performed a respectful bow to her, "Greetings madam, pleasure to meet you."


    "Oh my? My dear son, where did you pick up such a precious jewel from? She''s so beautiful." E said in praise, her words carrying a hint of tease towards Adison.


    "Ah, haha, mom, this is Fiona, princess Fiona from..." He paused, giving her a brief side eye, and the girl nodded, "...From Romania. She''s a friend of mine I met not too long ago."


    "Fiona, this woman right here is my mother, the fourthdy of the Shade King." He introduced both parties to one another, and they greeted each other with smiles.


    Afterwards, Adonis finally asked, looking back at the group that Fiona had behind her. "So, I''m curious to what''s going on. Did father have a meeting nned today?" He asked, and Fiona blushed in embarrassment.


    "Actually, about that... ahem... we are actuallying here uninvited. So it''s going to be a hell of a day. Oh!! Why don''t you write us a letter of... nope, that won''t work..." She sighed, her beauty almost making E sympathize with her.


    "Poor girl." Nevermind, it made her sympathize with her, and Fiona bitterly chuckled. Yet Adison wasn''t much affected, "How about this, you can alle and wait at the waiting room, and I''lle attend to you after meeting with father." He suggested.


    "Oh? Hmm... That would be marvelous. I''d prefer you served us than anyone else. I would feel morefortable having you to talk to." She said with a nod, a glint of realization shing past her eyes.


    "Splendid. I''d also prefer to be the one taking care of your matters, if you wouldn''t mind." Adonis responsesd to her with a smile, and together, they went deep within the castle, merrily getting along.


    Meanwhile, E, Harold, Kiara, Lloyd and the rest of the children from Romania, remained behind in shock. No, the fact that they were ignored wasn''t shocking enough, but the fact that the two were sofortable around each other...


    Was too suspicious.


    "Oh my..." E said, merrily skipping after the two, but making do to stay behind. "I guess we have no choice but to be ducklings." Harold said, his face 90% healed up.


    He then led the crew, and everyone finally entered the castle, and all the way towards the interior as well, where Adonis and Fiona reluctantly separated from another.


    "Oh my, oh my..." E said, preferring to not say anything. She loved watching her son be happy, and right now, he was way above cloud nine. ''Such a beautiful girl. But my son is pretty handsome too.''


    After that, which of course, E kept all her thoughts to herself, the two went towards Allianz personal courters, and found the door wide open. "Is everyone already here?"


    Adonis thought, and E did not reply. They instead walked in, and indeed, everyone, except Adriana, were seated neatly around Allianz''srge bed, with the man himself, sitting up with a weared out expression.


    ''He''s aged by a it... Oh, Allianz... why must destiny be so...'' E thought, fighting back the tears and the urge to try and hug him, and give himfort.


    "You''re finally here, please, sit." Allianz said, and the two sat side by side, besides Alison and Hannah on their left, and Filliona on their right, Adriana''s mother.


    "Everyone is here, I presume? Then we can begin." He said, and everyone kept quiet. Filliona feeling ufortable and embarrassed because of her daughter''s actions.


    But Allianz didn''t seem to mind. "Adonis, you will take a report about this to your sister, and see if she''s interested." He instead said, and Adonis nodded his head in agreement.


    "For starters, I apologize for the ruckus I''ve caused the night prior. I am fine, and it was only a minor issure, ording to Doctor Evans. I should be in top condition by three days, or after a week." He concluded that matter, and everyone sighed in relief.


    Nobody hid it, they literally sighed and most of the woman even slumped down their shoulders as a sign of loosened nerves, especially E and Hannah.


    Yet Allianz didn''t believe all of them were happy for him. Especially his children, and his first two wives. "But that isn''t the reason why I''ve called you all here. The main reason... is to discuss the right to the throne."


    ...!!!

 Chapter 133 Allianz Adams

    ?Allianz Adams, the only son of the previous Adams household, whose lineage built the whole shade shelter, whichter grew into the now Shade Stronghold.


    He grew up under the care of rich, and busy parents, family rtives and friends, hence why he had far less sociability skills than most. And a lower self love than even depressed people.


    Yet he never resented anyone for his circumstances. Not his parents, nor his rtives. He just drowned himself in his studies while growing up, and in war, when he had grown grown.


    He fought so much, he obtained newfound feelings of sadness, anger and hatred. Yet he continued to fight even more, andter lost those feelings once more.


    Unbeknownst to him, he always fought for recognition from his his loved ones, and unfortunately, he never obtained it. That being the case, he gave up, and just fought for the sake of... fighting.


    After ten years of war, of killing, of stealing, of destroying, of hurting, and most importantly, of fighting... he finally returned home, when he heard that his parents, and likewise rtives, lost their lives during an assassination.


    Hence why he disliked the Gray House, or rather, every other assassin to ever live this world. But he didn''t believe he hated them... he just disapproved of them.


    But as the only Adams left, he took charge of the work they loved so much, and ruled over the Stronghold. He ruled over the kingdom they cherished, even over him, thus he also loved it more than he loved himself.


    Even when he had a wife, he still overworked himself. Even after he had many wives, and a bundle of children, he still overworked himself, trying to obtain recognition from the ghosts of the Adams household.


    But at the end of the day, ''I was only destroying myself, by doing something I was always used to... not loving myself.'' He thought in sudden realization.


    But that was before and this was now. He might not be able to make it up to his children, but he was hoping he would at least do something he wanted to do for once. To make it up to himself at most.


    Thus he repeated himself once more, "The main reason I have called you all here... is to discuss the right to the throne."


    Every child of his within the room, stood up in shock and disbelief. Each one finding it hard to believe that their father, Allianz Adams, the war beast of darkness, just said what he said.


    "Don''t get your hopes up. I''m not giving you my throne because I''m dying. But I''m giving it to you because I want my children to continue my legacy, and for that... you have have to prove yourselves." Allianz said, his tone stern and apathetic as always.


    Everyone sat back down at those words, and prepared to listen to what more their father said. "Prove ourselves? That''s not a problem, father, but how?" Axel was the first amongst everyone to speak.


    And those words portrayed what everybody desperately wanted to know too. And Allianz knew that much, yet it didn''t fail to disappoint him a bit.


    "Yes, proving yourselves through qualifications of being a king." He said alongside a sigh, a first time urrence as it showed a glimpse of their father''s vulnerability. "In simple terms, I will give you rights of ownership to the four other cities, and by the end of the year, the one with the most control over their city will win."


    "What..?" They all eximed, yet Allianz kept speaking, proving to them that what they heard wasn''t mere illusions. "Great military power, reverence from the people, state of affairs, progress of development and many more aspects of managing a kingdom."


    "Anyone amongst you that can do so the best, will take control over the whole Stronghold with myplete support." He concluded, and his children were still frozen in shock.


    Momentster, Axel frowned as heprehended the whole situation, and found the matter a bitplicated. "So, father, what are the rules pertaining to this... trials of ours." He inquired.


    "They are none. You are all regent kings from now on, and must see each other as equals and kings as well. How you want to prove yourself, depends on how you believe a King should act. Only I will judge the end results." Allianz replied.


    "I see..." And Axel nodded. He had obtained a lot of information from those words, and the major one was that... his siblings were more of enemies than family starting from today onwards.


    "But father, how would we manage each cities? There are four cities, and five of us. Unless, you want to bet with the capital city as well?" Adonis asked, a frown on his face.


    "...One amongst you isn''t participating, or am I wrong, Filliona?" Allianz asked, and the woman, lowered her head in shame andnodded. "My deepest apologies, my King." She said.


    "You mean big sister Adriana? Wait, why isn''t she attending?" Adison interrogated, his frown growing even bigger and more unsatisfied.


    "That is her choice, not my own. You can ask her yourself, if you don''t belive me." Allianz said, and Amy added, "Plus, what right does she have to fight for the throne, when she couldnt even visit her own father on his deathbed?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I have to agree." Axel nodded in agreement but Adison disagreed. "She was sick." He said, yet Axel also didn''t back down. "And you bought that? You really are naive, you know that?"


    "..."


    "That''s about enough. I''ve told you what I wanted to tell you, and you will decide on which city you will manage." Allianz intervened, before the matter could grow out of hand so early on.


    "But how?" Alonis asked, finally speaking after keeping his silence for the longest time here, amongst all siblings.


    "Simple." Allianz said, taking out a cup which contained four different colored sticks. "Each stick represents a city, and you guys will choose whom amongst you goes first. Each stick chosen, will be the city you rule over." He said.


    "..."


    "..."


    Everyone exchanged nces, especially the children, appraising one another carefully.Until Axel smiled bitterly and shrugged his shoulders, "I say the youngest goes first." He said.


    Amy scowled, but reluctantly agreed to the matter. At the end of the day, this was a game of luck, and she would still choose before Axel. "...Fine with me." She relented.


    "..."


    "..."


    Adonis and Alonis exchanged nces, and the first to choose was Alonis. He took the yellow strick from the cup, then Adonis, who took the ck stick.


    Amy took the green stick, and remaining white stick was left with Axel. After everyone had chosen their sticks, Allianz put the cup away and concluded the matter. "That is all. Once you reach your houses, you will unwrap the sticks and begin preparing to move out."


    "Until then, you can do as you please. I want some time alone with your mothers." He said, and they all exchanged nces, before standing up tacitly.


    "In that case, father, enjoy your rest." Axel said, bowing respectfully before he left. Any nodded at him and left as well. Meanwhile, Adonis and Alonis bid farewell to everyone else.


    Once they were outside, Alonis bid him farewell. "I will be going home and will keep contact with you. In the meantime, sorry to bother, but can you deal with sis Adriana." He said.


    "No problem." Adonis nodded, and then left to meet up with Fiona and the others. ''Let''s... mot bother father about this matter for now, as he is still unwell.'' He thought.


    But he knew that his mother would definitely report this matter to him. It didn''t matter anyway though, as he would have spent the time he desired with Fiona regardless.


    "Ah, Adonis, you''re back." Said Fiona, standing up to greet him as he walked in. The others just stood by and watched in silence. "Yeah, sorry I kept you waiting." He said with a gentle smile.


    "It''s nothing, it''s nothing. Come, sit, let''s have a talk, shall we?" Fiona said, and Adonis strongly nodded his head as well. "Alright then, let''s talk."


    The two future kings of humanity began their conversation, meanwhile, back at Damian''s home, Juliette sat cross legged atop their bed, and saw through a water bubble how the meeting at the Adam''s household took ce.


    "As you predicted, everything followed through your desired path." She said, and Damien,ing out of the shower replied, "Which was a given considering how much Destiny can change the course of time."


    "I see." She nodded, dispelling the water bubble andying down on the bed. "By the way, what do you want for lunch today?" She asked.


    "Anything is fine by me." Damien said, changing his clothes to something easily movable within. Gray sweat pants, along with a gray shirt on his top. "Have you yet studied witch craft, by any chance?"

 Chapter 134 Progress

    ?High quality clothes from the modern era of humanity existed here, and were made by strongholds from the east side.


    This also included high quality beds, furniture, and even machinery as well. The only thing they could not replicate so far, was the technology and advanced electrical appliances.


    "Nope. Was I supposed to?" Juliette asked, twisting her figure on the bed to look at him.


    "Not really." Damien responded, "Just as how it is unnecessary for you to learn summoning magic, sorcery and the other branches of magic." He added.


    "I see. But, would it necessarily affect me if I learned them all?" She asked, and Damien paused for once to think about it.


    As far as he remembers, there are 108 different magic paths, and each one had a different systempared to the other. Though most were lost through the ages past, and could not be used anymore.


    Some were just too ancient, some were only capable of being used by certain people who have reached a certain level of power, and others could be used by people of a different race altogether.


    In simple terms, there''s never been records of people achieving mastery with all 108 magic paths. Or rather, he never knew of one, even as powerful as he was.


    Showing how impossible of a feat that would be. Yet right now, his very blood, boiled I''m excitement. ''An impossibility... is it?'' He thought to himself.


    "No. It would not, but it would be close to impossible to achieve that." And he responded as such, his lips barely curling up into a devious smile.


    And having the same Ascendenct Bloodline as him, Juliette could not help but frown, feeling ufortable deep down. "Impossible..." And repeated that word with distate in her mouth.


    The couple''s morning went on as such, and from there, they spent the day walking around the city, and enjoying the various changes that have taken ce thanks to the changing era.


    By evening, Adonis arrived home, and then he unsealed his stick wrapped in a ck cloth. And upon opening it, he saw the name on it being, "Avarice", the city south west from the capital city.


    It was the secondrgest city aside from the capital city, and was famous for being close to a crystal mine towards its north, and the mountain valleys on its south.


    "This... is a bingo, isn''t it?" He thought to himself, smiling in joy. The poption ranked around fifty million, which was a lot, but he epted the challenge with honor.


    Meanwhile, Alonis obtained the city south of Avarice, the city of Rosario. It had mountain valleys towards its north, which were the same mountain valleys south of Avarice, called the Lumen Valley.


    It was also built close to the gates of the Stronghold, with forty five or so million residents. And towards its right, was Bkack Stone city, with the smallest poption of twenty five or so million residents.


    It also shared arge forest with Rosario, which stood in between both of them. To its north, was thergest city aside from the capital city, with a poption of over sixty million residents, city of Valeria, and also known as the city of gold.


    It was owned by Amy, and ck Stone city was owned by Axel, with Rosario belonging to Alonis, and Avarice to Adonis. In between all these cities was arge in field, which also took up the space between Valeria and ck Stone city.


    And to their north, at the far back, was the capital city, the city of Eden, ruled by the Allianz, with its own unique environment.


    "I guess... the game officially begins." Adonis thought, breathing out a deep sigh.


    From tomorrow onwards, he would have to move to Avarice, and see how he would take over the city. At the same time, he would have to learn about his environment, as well as who owns which city, his advantages, disadvantages, and whom he could befriend.


    "This is going to be tough." He sat down in his study, and began on the matter right away. Sixth and Ninth not here, but he didn''t mind. He instead took out the map of the entire Stronghold and appraised it. "Well then, let''s begin, shall we? I definitely got this."


    The young man did not sleep that entire night, going through multiple ns and scenarios for his future path of bing king, all the way until the next day.


    And the next day, when he waspletely prepared, with multiple carriages, servants and guards ready to move out, a royal coach he was now familiar with made its reappearance.


    "Going somewhere?" Asked Fiona with a smile through the window of her royal coach. "Miss Fiona, good evening." Adonis greeted her with a smile, and nodded at her words.


    "My path... has begun." He added, and she knew what path he was talking about, which made her chuckle in response. "No, our path has begun, Adonis."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Hm? Wait, you mean..?"


    "Yes." She outstretched her hand towards him, a beautiful smile blooming on her face. "I will be helping you here, so, looking forward to working with you, sir Adonis."


    "...Pleasure is mine, miss Fiona." And Adonis took her hand, gently nting a kiss on its back before he gave his response.


    The setting sun illuminating their figures, and creating a mesmerizing picture that wouldtere to be remembered by all his guards and servants as... the Allure of the evening Beauty.


    From there, the carriages left, and Adonis, realized that he was the first one to set off on his new journey amongst all siblings.


    "How long would it take us to reach Avarice?" Fiona asked Adonis, who thought about it and replied back. "About an hour or two at most, with our current pace."


    He said, and she nodded. Meanwhile, E remained silent, wondering if Adonis and Fiona were much more closer than she initially thought.


    After all, how could the princess move away from her own royal coach, and onto Adonis'' royal coach. It was too suspicious. ''Does my son... like princess Fiona? Or is it the other way around?''


    She thought, yet unfortunately, had no one she could gossip such good news with. The day went by, and nothing important either than that, took ce.


    Meanwhile, back at the Grays, "At this point, I think we are wasting our time." Juliette said, dispelling the water bubble andying down on the bed once more.


    "...True." Damien agreed, leaning next to the window, and looking at her. "What..?" She asked, and he shook his head while he responded. "Nothing. I was just thinking..."


    "About?"


    "...Nothing. Anyway, what are your ns from now on?" He asked, and though she didn''t like the fact that he changed the topic, she still answered his inquiry. "I''m thinking of delving more into my studies of magic."


    "...Alright then, it''s decided. We shall both do what we desire." Damien said, "I''ll also try to help those two take control over the entire situation, without using much force."


    "I thought you didn''t want to y ruler. What changed? Is their progress slow?"


    "I don''t, but that doesn''t mean I also don''t want to help. I''ll give out suggestions and advices where I see fit. And as for their progress, it''s going great... the problem is the wolves." He frowned mentioning this subject.


    "Ah, yes, those wolves. They are awfully silent... so silent it''s almost scary." Juliette nodded, feeling like the moment they attacked, the situation would be out of hand.


    "Right? Things are getting out of hand. Plus, there''s also the internal mess that would arise thanks to this trial of new kings that Alliamz set up." Damien added.


    "But... don''t you think he''s been hasty? Couldn''t he wait until the wolves were resolved?"


    "It''s impossible. These wolves apanied us since we began this Stronghold, and I''m pretty sure he believes they would apany us for more years toe as well." Damien responded to her words.


    "Plus, he''s still king, nheless. The total situation is still under his control... for the most part." He added, and she nodded in understanding, "Yes, for the most part."


    Because if one of the children, or maybe all of them, banded together and attacked him, he would lose. That was a given scenario, yet he still went for the n.


    "Every king had to risk his throne and life at some point during the moment as king." Damien said, choosing the end the topic at that.


    Juliette rolled her eyes at those words, but did not say anything against them. He was right, risk and sacrifices go hand in hand together. And if one was not careful, a risk could be an irreversible sacrifice.


    "Hopefully... everything will go as nned." She said out of the blue, and Damien nodded, walking towards the bed. "Hopefully."

 Chapter 135 Moving Out

    ?"Huh..? You''re moving out?" Startled, Esther questioned in shock and perplexity at the sudden words her son just said during breakfast today.


    "Yes. We are thinking of moving out and starting our own family at Avarice city, as new people exposed to adulthood." Damien nodded alongside his response.


    The table was packed up with food as usual, of all kinds and colors, making the dining table vibrant as always. And even amidst this conversation, the mood was still family friendly.


    "Why so suddenly? It''s not like you to n on starting a family so young. And I know you''re adults now, but isn''t Juliette still too young? She just became fifteen, you know. Wait two years, for her to mature and get used to being an adult, at least." Esther adviced after a careful moment of thoughts, making Juliette blush besides Damien.


    "If anything, you know me toobwell because of that second sentence. And if it''s anyone wanting a child here, it''s definitely not me." He responded, making both parents turn to look at Juliette in surprise.


    "..."


    The young maiden blushed even harder in embarrassment, and desperately kept her head low. ''Damien..!! How could you so be cruel!!'' She thought to herself.


    "That still doesn''t exin why you''d be moving out so unexpectedly." David said, moving his focus back to Damien.


    "You should be happy I won''t he bothering you anymore, old man. But yeah, nheless, it doesn''t." Damien replied to his father, then added after swallowing his food. "I''ll be qhelping Adonis take control over the stronghold."


    And revealed his true aim of moving towards Avarice city, which did not shock his parents. "Ah, you mean that young Adonis that you mentioned months ago?" His mother inquired, and he nodded.


    "Well that exins it. You can do as you please then." David also added, in which case, Damien nodded once more. "I will. And we will be moving out right after breakfast."


    "So fast..?"


    "Yes."


    "Alright. Do make sure to visit us from time to time, okay?" Esther said, and once more, Damien nodded. "I will. Now can we please eat in silence, like Juliette here..?" He then added, and the table became silent.


    "..."


    "..."


    By 10am, Damien and Juliette were done with everything, and flew out of his parents house, thetter waving down at Esther. "Bye auntie, bye uncle, we will make sure to visit you all someday."


    "Bye bye, enjoy yourselves out there. A honeymoon never ends." Esther happily waved back in return.


    "Auntie..!!" And Juliette could not hide away the embarrassment from hearing those words. ''What would the neighbour''s think after hearing all of that..?!'' She thought to herself, flying away from the capital city.


    And once they were a few minutes away from the city, she couldn''t help but appreciate the top view of their Stronghold and the beauty of its nature and wild life.


    "How pretty..." She thought, marveling at everything below. She also couldn''t help but think back to two months ago, when she was still just an ordinary young woman. It was mncholic.


    ''And now, two monthster, I''m looking down on the world I used to admire.'' She thought to herself. The sky that was previously unapproachable, was now within range.


    Thends that she always dreamt of as a child, were now just a matter of time away. Dreams were being switched to reality, turning from impossible to achieve, to merely just a matter of time for her.


    "By the way, Damien, how are you nning on helping Adonis seed?" She thought out loud, flying besides Damien, who responded to her thoughts, "I''m thinking of creating an institution."


    He said, and it made more than sense to her. "Ooh... As someone from the future, you probably know a lot. And if used correctly, you could probably teach us a lot of things in advance!!"


    She deduced his thoughts, nodding to herself at his brilliant thinking. But Damien added to her deduction, "True, but I''ll mostly teach about the Realms from Apprentice to Sainthood."


    "If possible, for those interested, even about gods and their own Realms. I will also teach knowledge about most of the world, it''s structure and power systems."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He further exined, and Juliette nodded in understanding. "I see. Then is there anyway you could help? Maybe, I could teach them about magic or... magic." She felt embarrassed that magic was the only thing she knew.


    "That were my thoughts." Yet Damien responded as such, and Juliette nodded once more. "So what will you call the institution? And how are you going to manage it by yourself?"


    "I''ll call it the Silver Association." Damien did not take long to give her a response, and the reply itself did not take much time to shock her. ''Silver as in... myst name?''


    "Yes. There''s already the House of Gray, so it''s about time we created a lineage of your family as well. Unless you don''t like it."


    "No, I do. I, in fact, love it." She responded with a smile, and with that, they finally arrived at the entrance of Avarice, where they were allowed to go in after showing their identity cards.


    "As for management, I''ll choose people smart enough to be able to teach others, and give them ess to my knowledge. Mostly people with suitable sses." He said, yet he knew that writing down most of his knowledge would take too much time.


    "That would take too long, wouldn''t it?" Juliette also realized the problem and thought of a solution. "And can we trust everyone with the knowledge?" She inquired.


    "It would be basic knowledge everyone within the other nations and races would know. So don''t worry yourself too much." Damien replied, and Juliette understood.


    From there, the couple made themselves at home, and bought a house at the high district of the city, very much close to the city lord''s castle.


    The city model was quite unique, as half the city belonged to the low ss zone, the central business zone, the industrial zones. And the other half, contained the middle ss zone, the high ss zone and the castle itself.


    The castle being the central point figure of the more influential half of the city. And this was where they chose to settle down, meanwhile, they also bought arge territory outside of the city itself.


    And of course, this was while Adonis was busy talking business matters with the current city lord of Avarice. Hence the both of them were not yet aware of suchrge transactions taking ce within the city.


    "Is this ce okay?" Damien asked, and Juliette scoured through the area. Thend was vast and open, and if the city desired, they could have spread out to create more zones here.


    The area was around west of Avarice, facing the endless ins in between all cities, and behind it, was Avarice itself. Down south of it, were the mountain ranges, and up north, just another open space.


    "It''s alright. But why such argend? It cost us 7,500 gold coins even." Juliette inquired. That much money could feed tens of families for a decade.


    She then added, "And why illegally at that? Isn''t Adonis on our side? Can''t we demand the ce ourselves? For free, even."


    She didn''t understand the way Damien worked so hard, and was really curious what ns he had for doing this, and making things difficult for himself.


    "I''m not making things difficult for myself. After all, this way, I''ve already found one mole for that boy to uproot when he bes king. As for thend, it''s ours still." He responded, and Juliette nodded. "I see..."


    "Anyway, if we build the institutes here, wouldn''t it be far away from the city?" She asked once more, "No. We will amodate anyone who enlists for the programme, and they will be released after their studies are over." Damien responded.


    "Ah, is that it?" And she realized that she was overthinking matters.


    From there, the couple retreated and went to their new house. But mid way, Damien left to hire workers for the building process for the Silver Association project.


    ''It''ll take a few days for Adonis to take control over the city, especially with Fiona, and someone as experienced as Harold. Speaking of them, they could be good teachers for the institute.'' He thought, on his way towards the worker''s guild.


    This ce could help someone hire people easier and more fluently. They had connections with workers, and all one had to do, was state his demands and they would be met.


    He entered the building, and the one that received him was a chubby youngdy. "Welco¨C Ah..." She greeted him amicably, yet froze in shock, looking at Damien as if she was hallucinating.


    "I need help." Damien ignored her and said, which woke her up to reality. "Y¨CYes, help, ah, help, right away!! How may I help today, young master?"


    She asked with a smile behind the desk. ''This man is definitely royalty to be so beautiful!! My God, he''s handsome.'' She thought, yet kept her professional business smile.

 Chapter 136 Settling Down

    ?"I''ll need to hire workers." Damien said, and the youngdy nodded, noting it down on the paper before her. "Workers, yes. What kind of workers would you like to hire."


    "Mostly builders and nners. Artisans, carpenters, designers..." He began listening a long list of desired workers, and the youngdy couldn''t help but freeze. ''So... so many workers. What are you building, a city?!'' She thought.


    "...Oh, and also, I''d like a thousand of each workers please. I''ll pay half the price beforehand." He added, taking out a pouch of 3,500 gold coins.


    And once the small pouch hit the table, the youngdy was shocked beyond words once more. ''Tycoon!! Tycoon!! I knew it. Not only is he handsome, but he was rich from the get go..!!'' She thought, and when she looked up, she realized that Damien was leaving. ''So fast..? Wait, hold on!!''


    "Wa¨CWait, sir..!!" She called out.


    "I''ll return a week from now to fetch the workers, until then, enjoy your week miss." He left such words, taking off to the sky just like that.


    "Ah, he... he flew. So, was he abat professionist? I guess, that exins why he has so much money on him." She sighed, slumping down on her chair. ''Feels nice to be them. It''s only been two months, and most are getting rich.'' She thought in bitterness.


    She then began calcting the money, the number of workers, and desired workers, and then came to a sudden realization that, ''He paid twice the usual amount for every worker!! Half a gold coin per person is luxury!!'' She thought.


    Then afterwards, she began her work and printing out a new request, before cing it on the billboard within the room.


    Today, there were not much workers, maybe because it was a Sunday, but that didn''t matter. She put it there, and left to rest on her desk as usual. ''By evening, things would get busy around here.''


    And indeed, by evening, multiple workers of all kinds were flickering around the billboard, boisterous and actively calling their friends and families toe and apply.


    Damien''s offer was just too appetizing. Half a gold per person as deposit? Then wasn''t that a gold coin after full payment? That was four months worth of work for the luckier guys.


    And those with lesser working environments, that was more than a year''s worth of pay. How could they not rush out sign up?


    ''Unfortunately, there''s only seven thousand positions, and a thousand for each profession the young master desires.'' Thought the chubby youngdy Damien met.


    "Hey, Emily, I''d like to sign up for this."


    "Me too, me too, Emily."


    "Hey, I came here first."


    "Fuck off, dimwit."


    "Emily, arent we friends? Sign me up, sign me uphurry, hurry."


    "..."


    But Emily stared at all these people with nothing but exasperation in her eyes. What friend? What Emily? I don''t know you guys, okay? Please go away. Please.


    Meanwhile, Damien had just bought about a thousand ves within the dark market, and also hired a hundred servants for their new home; arge mansion.


    "My name is Damien, and thedy of this house is Juliette, we will be your masters from here on forth. Hence you all answer to us, and only us. Is that clear?" He said to all one hundred servants, who nodded to his words.


    "This mansion is not thatrge, so only fifty of you are enough, but with double the number, you will have more rest to enjoy." He added, and the servants exchanged nces of confusion.


    Why would their new master do that? They were even a but dissatisfied, afraid that their pay would also be halved because of that.


    But Damien mostly ignored their confusion. "You can also use the lower floors to your liking during your rest period. The gardens there, the pools, so on and so on. Be at ease, and at home."


    "You can treat this ce as a sort of paradise. The only thing I want is that; the rooms must be clean and well managed, at all times. Everything must be in order, including everyone. And most importantly, Peace of mind." He said.


    ''Peace of mind..?'' And most of the servants thought in confusion.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "That simply means that, I don''t want any of you to be a source of stress for me. Work in ordance to your roles, and always remember that, certain actions or words, might bring trouble to me, and ultimately to yoy." And seeing through them, Damien exined himself.


    ''Oooh... So he means that we should always be aware of our positions?'' They thought in understanding. And one decided to raise their hands to speak. "Lord, which house are we serving..?"


    It was a young man around his early twenties, with a neat butler fit on his being. He also had silvery hair, and deep blue eyes. A handsome fellow, so to speak.


    And quite perceptive too. Damien thought, and also thought about the boy''s words. Which house were they serving? "...The house of Silver. Let me reintroduce myself, I am Damien Silver, and thedy of this house is Juliette Silver."


    He responded, and they all respectfully bowed in greetings. "We greet the master of Silver." They sang in sync.


    "Then you''re all dismissed. You can get ustomed to the manor, and begin work immediately next week. Until then, make yourself at home." Damien said, and though they were still confused by the treatment, they still nodded.


    "Oh, and one more thing, whatever happens in the manor, stay in the manor. Do not be rmed by anything that you see, hear or feel during your working experience." He added, turning to leave.


    "..."


    And the servants were now a bit more than shocked. They were curious what kind of surprise working for the house of Silver would be like... yet at the same time, a bit fearful of what they might have gotten themselves into.


    ''What kind of people... are the Silvers.'' They thought. After all, noblese in all shapes and forms, but one thing about them, was clear and always true; their superiorplex.


    And the fact that most rumors about them were negative than positive, added more to the innate fearmoners had towards nobles. And these servants, believed Damien was a noble as well.


    Meanwhile, Damien himself did not mind whatsoever what they thought about him. He only wondered what Juliette would think, when she heard about this.


    Men taking thest name of their women was not rare. But considering his situation, she probably didn''t expect that he would do so.


    ''As for my reasons... my originalst name is quite heinous and unique. Using Gray, would only be detrimental for mying ns and goals.'' He thought to himself.


    And since he also looked different than before, with his angelic beauty and silver-tinum blonde hair, nobody would associate him with the infamous Damien Gray of the House of Gray.


    "Now, as for you all, we will be working on your health first and foremost." He said, as he arrived at the stables of the mansion, standing over the ves that he bought.


    Yes, ves.


    There were such people in almost every Era of development for most civilizations, and this one, was no different. In fact, to these current humans, very was more than epted.


    But to own a ve, one must have a valid reason as to why that person was a ve. Debt was one of them, or being sold by parents, or perhaps even losing war and being collected as goods.


    These were all put in documents that ve sellers give to ve owners once bought. Also, depending on what kind of ve, they could either have maximum rights, minimum rights, or no rights at all.


    And Damien, bought those that were mostly sold by their respective gaurdians or were goods of war. Those with at least a minimum amount of rights to their name.


    Whether they were defiled or still pure, he bought them as long as they could work and serve him. "Line yourselves up, from youngest to oldest. Males on the left, females on the right. Those healthier at the back."


    He said, and the ves he bought obediently did as he said, or else, the marks on their chests, would squeeze at their heart and make breathing hard for them.


    ''So they''ve developed to this extent in just two months.'' He thought, as from his guess, the ves were now branded with seals formed from magic, instead of chained.


    But of course, they still wore a cuff on their neck, that had a small chair extending to their hips. If the master so desired, they could use it to yank at them. ''Life, will always be sad for the weak and the poor...''


    He sighed, and from there, began telling everyone about the rules of bing a part of the house of Silver. That much, was enough for the time being... as even for him, ying noble was a first.

 Chapter 137 "Project I.S" I

    ?As for how he felt about ves in general? Having being one in the past for powerful beings, he sympathized with them. And he will try his best to help if he could.


    ''ving away is not nice, even with a good master who thinks for you. After all, at the end of the day... you are still nothing more than an object to most of them.'' He thought.


    And speaking of ves, they wore dirty linen clothes, and in some cases, sack bags tied with ropes to fit their figures. And their clothes had a design of the chest being bare.


    And the brand was ced onto their chest, which was open for all to see. In fact, it was still open that, even when one didn''t really mean to, they could still slightly see the women''s exposed breasts.


    "If you''ve heard me, and desire no further instructions, you can take a rest, I''ll call in a healer in a moment. If not, raise your hand and I''ll repeat myself again." He said as a conclusion, and no hand was raised.


    It could be out of fear of him, or that they really understood him, but he didn''t mind either way. He was patient enough to guide them if need be. "If you all sorted, I''ll be on my way."


    He left, entering the manor and heading straight to the second floor, and onto his now personal study. "I was thinking you wouldn''t being back today." Said Juliette, going through the books in the study.


    "I had to see the interior structure of my new home." He replied, and sat down behind the only desk in the room. "Either way, how would you feel about teaching them how to read and write? And healing them while you''re at it."


    He added, Juliette knowing who in particr he was talking about. "I don''t mind, actually. But, why? Are they promising candidates or people you might potentially know?"


    She sat down before him on the desk and asked. Knowing that he was from the future, meant that he would know most of everyone''s future attainments.


    "No. They are just fortunate people to obtain "schr", "teacher", "lecturer" and the likes, as their sses. It would be easy for you to teach your knowledge to them, and help them teach it onto others."


    "Of course, knowledge mostly, and at rare cases, you can show them the real thing. But anyway, I want to use them to be the high authority amongst all future teachers toe. I''ll also help you teach them." He said, and she nodded. ''Not much of a problem for me.'' She thought.


    "That exins it. But why so many of them? Are you nning on creating an institution on every city of every Stronghold? Isn''t that many institutions in total..?"


    "It is. In fact, for all twelve Strongholds and the Central Sphere, there are almost a hundred cities in total. This number would be enough for that job." He said, then added, "After all, their main focus is to be the supervisors of each institution, and not mainly the teachers. Understand?"


    "I see. So they will be the ones that manage every branch, and govern over those that would be teaching others? A legit form of managing multiple institutions." Juliette nodded, feeling like she was being too clueless.


    "Dont stress the matter, you''ll gain control over the situation soon enough." Damienforted her, and she smiled. "Mhm. I hope that timeses really soon though."


    "It will."


    The couple ended their day as such, and on to the next day. There, they began sses on teaching the ves their knowledge, one on magic, and the other on the world''s philosophy.


    And those that caught on fast, or passed their short quizzes, were rewarded greatly. Of course, the rewards were mostly cleaner clothes, and sometimes, a few minutes of private time at one of the many pools or the garden.


    And many other misceneous things that they were usually stripped off, like luxurious food too. And the servants just watched in stupor, as they still didn''t begin their official work as of yet.


    Yet some were already getting ustomed to cleaning the houses, and keeping it clean. Meanwhile, the days continued as such.


    Usually, Juliette would teach half the group of ves on magic everyday. But as the topic itself was too deep and intricate, each day was the basics of a different topic.


    And Damien, also taught the other half different topics. This included the world''s philosophy, it''s unique natural features, topics about Mana, topics about realms etc.


    Thus, the week went well as such, and all ves wore neat clothes, and were slightly more healthier than before. They also looked more happier than before, and this shocked the servants.


    ''What... whatbthe hell is going here?''<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ''Are these people... the low lives I saw not just a week ago? Seriously?''


    ''...Such arge transformation.''


    They thought to themselves in groups. Today was also the day they officially began on their work as servants of the Silver household. And also the deadline time of Damien''s request offer.


    "I''ll be back." He said to Juliette, who waved him off as he flew out of their home''s influence. "Bye, and take care of yourself." She added.


    Meanwhile, at the worker''s guild, Emily stood before a group of seven thousand workers. Their numbers crowded the streets, and brought caution and curiosity from the bystanders.


    "Hey, what do you think we are being called for?" A man amongst the group asked, and another casually responded, "What else? It''s probably to build somethingrge."


    "You think..?" Another scoffed at the obvious reply, and more people joined in on the conversation.


    "I don''t care what we are doing here, I just want to know how our boss looks likes." A young girl said, and most of the guys stopped talking to look at her.


    "Little miss, are you new to the industry of working as a blue cor?" A man kindly asked, and the youngdy nodded her head. "Yes, this is my first time here. Please treat me well."


    "Yeah yeah, whatever. You said you are curious about our boss, didn''t ya?" Another man intervened, and she nodded once more. "Tough luck for ya missy, he''s most definitely a noble." He added.


    "Noble? Isn''t that a great thing?" The youngdy though, and everyone exchanged nces before breaking out into a fit ofughter. The youngdy was embarrassed, yet she wasn''t aware what was wrong with her words.


    Weren''t nobles and princes supposed to be quite handsome and rich? Wasn''t that how it usually was? She thought to herself.


    "Missy, missy, missy, you must probable be into men with higher positions that can dominate you, right?" A man said after wiping off his tears born out ofughter, and the youngdy blushed at his words, mostly at embarrassment and a hint of humiliation.


    The man also realized that, and toned down hisughter, "Okay okay, maybe I went a bit too far. But listen up missy, being a noble isn''t nice. Those guys got a lot of money."


    "So?" She scoffed at him, but the man took her words lightly and patted her back yfully. "Having money means they got it good in life. Meaning that most nobles... are fat pigs." He added with a whisper only she could hear.


    And those words led to her face losing all of its color. She became pale, and full of fear, as those words were a nightmare to any youngdy whosee of age.


    "Bwahahaha...!!"


    And seeing her facial expression, everyone broke out into a fit ofughter once more, embarrassing her again. But this time, she knew why they wereughing.


    "Cheer up, we''ve all had dreams like that when starting, only to be disappointed." Anotherdy said to her, gently rubbing her head. "Our boss is probably an old man, if not a fat pig." And added more salt to the wound.


    And those words brought out yet another bountifulughter from the group. Unfortunately, one person was unable tough at their jokes, as she... knew how wrong they were. Very much so.


    ''You all... are not ready, I tell you. You are not ready to see what I saw.'' She thought,ughing bitterly at their antics. ''Fat pig? If that''s your concept of an ugly man, then this young master, is purely the opposite of that!!''


    "Hm?" She paused and looked up, spotting a familiar figure descending. "Alright, you mutts!! Quiet it down now!! Your employer is here." She said, her words quietting down the whole area.


    And that being the case, they all looked up, following her gaze as well, and just so happened to see Damien descending with a poker expression. ''They are lot, as expected.'' He briefly thought.


    But just as he had his own thoughts, everyone below also had their own in regards to him. ''Is this... a noble? You serious?''

 Chapter 138 "Project I.S" II

    ?But just as he had his own thoughts, everyone below also had their own in regards to him. ''Is this... a noble? You serious?'' ''Isn''t he royalty..? Nah, even royalty shouldn''t be this beautiful!!'' ''What the hell am I looking at exactly?''


    ''Am I tripping..?'' ''...This is not our boss. I refuse to ept it. Hell he''s too handsome even for my standards!!'' ''Life aren''t fair, I say, it aren''t.''


    They all stared at him as he floated above in stupor, his presence doing what it always does, stealing the spotlight and dazzling the eyes of everyone.


    And amongst everyone, the one with the greatest shock, was the youngdy everyone had convinced that most nobles were fat pigs. ''You all are fakes, you are all scams..!! Oh, lord above, I thank you for this opportunity...'' She marveled, tears of relief rolling down her cheeks.


    "...I knew you''d all gawk at him." Emily said with a cheeky smile of contempt, not heavily affected since it wasn''t the first time she saw Damien.


    "Come on, Em. You can''t really me us here. I''ve seen something like this." The men rolled their eyes at her antics and boastful smug, yet had to admit defeat. ''...How do we work a guy like this?''


    And also, their dilemmas. They already had working tactics to deal with most nobleman, and also used their free time to verbally attack them behind their backs.


    But with Damien... what was even there to say about him, either thanpliments? Not only was he handsome, he also had quite the peak male body physique.


    "It seems we are all here, and not one bit short of staff." He said, his words ringing out like a melody to their ears. "We can start moving now. There''s carriages lining up outside the city, you can all board each and we will meet at the destination."


    He concluded, and everyone exchanged gazes. ''So... we are working outside?'' ''Are we really building a town or something?'' ''Maybe a fort?'' ''Well, whatever.'' ''There pay''s good at least.''


    "Ah, big man, quick question." A man called out without much reserve, scratching his head nervously. "Hm." And Damien hummed a response, prompting him to continue.


    ''He didn''t flip over?'' They all thought, and the man continued his words, "I was wondering why we are going outside. At least, can we know a thing or two bout our work." He said.


    Everyone held their breathes, and looked up at Damien. Who nodded lightly, "Fair, I guess. We will be working on construction for theing month, if not months."


    He responded as such, and the man nodded, not asking any more questions. After all, under normal circumstances, his actions were very much disrespectful, and any normal noble would have felt offended.


    "We can be on our way now." He added, waving his hand to cast a minor spell, a zero circle magic spell - levitate, on the luggage and equipment they brought.


    But to everyone, when he waved his hand, Mana churned excitedly, and a unique magic circle appeared below every luggage or equipment, and took them up into the skies.


    "Whoa..!!"


    "Sick!!"


    "A magician!! Abat ss bearer!!"


    Everyone eximed in shock and excitement. Even Emily, who was sure that Damien was abat professionist, was still excited at such a show of supernatural elegance, of magic!!


    The group carefully made it towards the city gates before noon, and immediately set off. Before evening, they had arrived at their destination... which was a vast,pletely barrennd.


    "You can all build camp for now, and we will begin the project first thing early in the morning. I''ll need volunteers who will supervise the work process, and who will let the others know about what our purpose here will be." Damien said, "And the soroundings are clear of danger, if you''re worried." And added.


    A few supervisors volunteered within a couple of minutes, amongst them, being the youngdy that had temporarily taken the spot light before Damien''s entrance.


    From there, discussions ensured throughout the night; nning, discussions, designs, designations and many more.


    Damien introduced many new topics to the building process; things such as runeid walls, magic stones to build with, Mana powered circuits running through the designs, magic towers, magic formations and many more.


    He didn''t go deep into the matter, and just introduced the topics to them, and letting them know of the possible pros and cons for using such materials.


    ''This... is unbelievable!!''


    ''Who is this man..?!''


    ''Is this even possible?!''<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ''Jesus Christ, if we really do it like this... then things will... the whole structure... My God!!''


    ''I''ve been enlightened..!!''


    The various supervisors learned a lot more about their new world, and circumstances in just a single night with Damien, thus showing boundless reverence to his magnanimity, and his insanity.


    No sane noble would casually give all these ideas to meremoners, let alone strangers, hence why they believed Damien was either ignorant, or tantly insane!!


    From there, days went by. Damien would spend the day with Juliette, teaching the batch of future "Schrs of Silver", while during the evening, he would check up on the development stage of the project.


    A week went by just like this, and another one. Progress was showing on both sides of Damien''s minor projects, and he was content with that much.


    Building arge residential zone capable of housing over a hundred thousand people would take years, and obviously, would stand out during the building stage.


    But with the help of magic, super-powered humans, Abilities and most importantly, sses, the project would take far less time than anybody would expect.


    "Yet at the end of the day, thing never go as nned." He thought, reading the letter personally sent over to him by Ninth. "It seems Adonis has sessfully taken over the city, with the help of the Romanians. And now, he has realized the building project on our side."


    "But not only that, it seems the nobles are pressurizing him to take matter into his hands, as our actions are considered ''disrespectful'' to his authority... And if he stands down, they''ll forever look down on him. Poor boy."


    He concluded, while burning the letter with fire magic. "I should pay them an official visit, and let them know of my ns. For, it wouldn''t benefit anyone, if I were to promise them kinghood, then do as I please within their own territories."


    The night went by, and as promised, Damien did pay Adonis a visit the next day. He was with Juliette, and they both wore descent clothes fit for people of their new status.


    Damien wore a loose shirt as always, white in color, with its sleeves rolled up to his elbows. And then a navy blue trousers below, all made with top quality material fit for nobles.


    While Juliette tried out the dresses the nobledies would wear, navy blue in color, with neat make up her new servants did on her. She looked even more beautiful than usual.


    "You look stunning." Damien said, and Juliette chuckled in satisfaction at his praise. "Thank you, you look handsome yourself." She responded back to him.


    "I know." And that was his reply, which had her rolling her eyes at him. "Geez, I forgot you can''t take apliment. But I don''t mind, either way, you''re still handsome."


    "..."


    The couple then arrived at the castle, and went into its interior. And of course, their charm and attire had everyone they met gawking in shock and reverence at their angelic beauty.


    ''I''m still not used to this level of shock from others, wherever I go.'' Juliette thought bitterly, a maid servant leading them straight to the living room at the moment.


    "My lord, the guests are here." She said, and obtained permission to lead them in, from inside. "Allow them entry, thank you for the hardwork."


    "Pleasure, my lord." She said, bowing and retreating from the room, leaving behind Damien, Juliette, Adonis, Fiona, Harold, Lloyd and Kiara. There was also Sixth and Ninth as well.


    "Sir Damien, wee. It''s been a very long time." The young regent king greeted, gesturing at the sofa before him.


    "Thanks." Damien said, leading Juliette to sit down for the double-men sofa facing the one Adonis sat on, with Fiona by his side. Adonis wore white shirt, and ck pants below. While as usual, Fiona adorned a fiery red dress.


    On another sofa, Kiara and Lloyd sat together, and Harold sat on a one-man sofa by himself. Sixth and Ninth, now the personal maid and guard of Adonis, remained standing.


    "I wasn''t aware you''ve relocated to Avarice, sir Damien." Adonis said with a smile, sighing at the inadequacy of his socialwork. "Had I known, I would have weed you properly."


    ''Ha, even if you had powerful socialwork, it''d still be hard to track a Gray once they are intent on hiding, brat.'' Thought Sixth to himself.


    "It''s alright. I felt it unnecessary to cause you trouble when you had matters to personally deal with yourself. So don''t mention it." Damien responded as such.

 Chapter 139 Void Gateways

    ?"I see, thank you, nheless." Adonis slightly bowed his head in gratitude. "By the way, I''ve heard about the project you''re taking charge of. And pardon my rudeness, but may I be so bold as to ask what it is about?" He added with an inquiry.


    Fiona, Harold and the others were also curious about this matter. Even Sixth, who kept less contact with Damien than Ninth, was also curious what his junior brother had in mind.


    "I''ve termed it "Project I.S". And it''s main purpose is..." Damien began exining his idea to everyone, suggesting it to be funded by both royal families.


    The Adams, represented by Adonis, and the Vermillions, represented by Fiona. This way, he promised them 15% shares each at the whole institution Project, while he and Juliette had the remainder to themselves.


    And after mentioning everything about the institution, and the overall effect that it might have on humanity, the two young king candidates agreed to his suggestion.


    Especially so, when ording to Damien, this project can, and will obviously spread out towards all cities of humanity sooner orter.


    ''This idea... it''s game changing!! As expected from sir Damien!!'' Adonis thought in reverance, seeing Damien as an idol of his.


    Meanwhile, though calmer, Fiona was also a bit excited. ''This project will be an international level project. If it seeds, the amount of authority we will have... will explode!!''


    Harold and the other two also seemed impressed at such an idea. "So, Damien, I''d like to suggest the project spread out towards Romania first, before any other nation, as a sign of partnership of sorts. Is that okay with you?" Harold asked.


    He took the opportunity to try and elerate the progress of Romania, so that the Shade kingdom wouldn''t exceed it by too much of a gap,pared to the other nations.


    "I don''t see any problems there." Damien nodded, and Harold sighed in relief. "We thank you for the favor. Looking forward to working with you."


    "Likewise." Damien extended his hand and shook that of Harold''s.


    From there, the conversation focused on Avarice, and how it''s system could be improved. Seven highly intellectual people began discussing a path forward, already pushing Avarice ahead of the other cities by leaps and bounds. Pushing Adonis, ahead of his siblings.


    Especially so, when one of the seven, was Damien, a regressor who knew information, knowledge and secrets even the current major races weren''t privy to.


    The discussions continued amongst the group, as Avarice city was the main topic. At some point, snacks were brought, alongside tea and some sweet treats.


    "Well, now that we are on the topic, I''ve got a suggestion for the two of you." Damien said, his eyes on Adonis and Fiona.


    "Yes?"


    "We are listening, sir Damien."


    The both responded as such, and the other three were also curious why the contents of this discussion were only directed to the two. "It''s about the domains you both own, and the connection between both Strongholds." He added.


    "Wait, Damien. Is it okay to speak about those matters with sir Harold and the others here?" Asked Juliette, and the question was something both Fiona and Adonis were worried about.


    "It''s fine as long as they don''t know the overall details. Plus, sooner orter, things would have toe to light about you two, and the fortune that you have obtained." He said, leaving the said trio in confusion.


    ''What are you people on about?''


    ''I feel like we are being kept in the dark, and... disrespectfully so, at that.''


    ''...I''m used to this.''


    Fiona and Adonis exchanged nces, then nodded at each other. "In that case, sir Damien, what suggestion do you have? We would be more than honored to hear your input."


    "First, the domains, and how they could solve the problem of distance between each Stronghold." Damien said, and Adonis was left shocked. "The distance? It... isn''t that long, is it?" He inquired with a frown.


    "It is." And Fiona responded. She then told him what Damien had told her, about the distance between each Stronghold growing further and further apart, the more the Realm grew.


    "That''s a thing?!" Adonis was shocked, finding the concept of traversing billions of miles to be... iprehensible. "Then... how would we do trade? How would we keep contact with the other nations. How did you all arrive here?"


    "A very good question. And the answer is, the domains." Damien said, and all eyes fell on him, despite most not knowing what a domain was.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "By enacting your domains, you can create something termed "Void Gateways", which could allow short distance transportation from one Realm, to another, regardless of distance."


    ...!!!


    Everyone widened their eyes in disbelief at those words. Even if one was not aware of what a domain was, just the mere idea of cutting down distance between twonds was a godsend opportunity from heaven.


    "But..." Yet Damien raised his head to stop any of their imaginations from running amok. "...As weak as you all are, opening up a domain, would result in it being ownerless. The domain wouldter develop a will of its own, and govern itself." He added.


    "Is that... bad?" Fiona queried with a small frown on her face. "Not necessarily so. The Domain will take paths that are optimum for itself, and thus, all its actions, would be for the better good of its growth, and the prosperity of its people."


    "Oh..." She nodded in understanding, then Adonis asked, "Then, if I may, what realm of power must one be at, to to able to reign over a domain?"


    "Even someone as powerful as me, would still have a bit of trouble doing so." Damien added, abd has response shocked everyone, including Sixth and Ninth. "Domains, are tools of the gods, and those considered truly godly or at that level." He added.


    ...!!!


    "Wait...!! Sir Damien, so you''re not a god yourself?" Fiona asked in shock. She had been so damn sure that Damien would be a god, even after he said he wasn''t.


    "...No, I am not. But I wouldn''t fear any of the weaker gods, nor the demigods." Damien helplessly replied, but he knew deep down why she believed him as such.


    "Oh..? So you''re somewhat of a demigod? That includes you too, Juliette?" She said, convincing herself of such words.


    "Hehe..." Juliette bitterlyughed it off, and Damien didn''t correct her. At least, she said somewhat of a demigod, and not necessarily a demigod.


    "So, anyhow, my suggestion was for you to enact both domains, and create a "Void Gateway" between both Romania and Avarice, for better future transactions between both nations." He said.


    "Wait... Avarice? And not the whole of the Shade Kingdom?" Adonis frowned. He didn''t want to just rule a city, he wanted to rule the entire nation itself.


    "Don''t fret. Realms can grown, ordingly to thends you reign over. Hence as long as you conquer the nation, the realm can spread throughout its whole range." Damien assured, calming down the young man.


    "In that case, I believe we should do so as soon as possible." Adonis nodded at the suggestion. "What do you think, miss Fiona?"


    "I don''t see a problem, whatsoever." Fiona replied. Damien then added to their words, "Putting up a domain, will also allow the one who rules over it to segregate the naturalws of thend ruled, from the ones undesirable."


    "Meaning..?"


    "For example, Romania turned into a domain, can segregate all otherws, and leave behind the fire typews only." He further exined, and those from Romania stood up in shock.


    "Seriously..?!" Fiona eximed, her face already blushing in excitement. ''If that''s true... then, then the progress of Romania can climb over the roof even faster!!''


    The other three from Romania also thought the same, and they only became more excited when Damien nodded. "Seriously. I have no need to lie to you, when all I want is progress as well."


    "Ah, yes, pardon my rudeness." She said, now a bit embarrassed, but overall still excited. "Uhm, what naturalws does our Stronghold shine in most?" Asked Adonis.


    He understood the concept of what made Fiona excited, but he could not reciprocate the feelings, when he wasn''t even aware what their Stronghold''s natural Affinity was.


    "Let''s see..." Damiem thought about it, and sent out his presence. A momentter, he responded. "Most of naturalndscape have a bundle of naturalws, and only a few are exceptions."


    "One being Romania, as it was close to a Volcano. As for the Shade Stronghold, it''s natural Affinity is just nature. Hm? Strange. All naturalws are present." He concluded in perplexity.


    "That''s... not good, is it?" And Adonis sighed in disappointment. Damien looked up at him and shook his head. "Not necessarily bad. It''s rtively not bad, but not goodpared to those with four or less naturalws."


    "By the way, how many naturalws are there?" Juliette inquired, trying to ease up the despondent mooding from Adonis.

 Chapter 140 Young Master Lanzelet

    ?"Sixteen, if I remember correctly." Damien replied, and Adonis sighed once more. "Well... at least there are other perks of having a domain, right?" He bitterly added.


    Nobody cheered him up, and they just enjoyed the temporary silence brought forth. Until when, a shout could be heard from outside their current room.


    "I refuse!! I refuse to agree to these settings!! I absolutely refuse!!" A rather young sounding voice rang out in anger throughout the whole castle. And by the sound of it, it was getting closer and closer.


    "Any... matters at hand?" Damien asked, and though embarrassed, Adonis forced a smile, "None that I am aware of. Please, allow me to resolve it."


    "No, it''s fine. You can resolve the matters here, if you don''t mind." Damien added, and Adonis nodded. Then signaled to Sixth to open the door.


    "..."


    And Sixth obediently did so, opening the door, only to reveal a young man adorned in a purple noble attire, with his long blonde hair, and a sword at hand.


    Behind him were guards that were knocked out cold. "Huh..?" The young man froze in motion of opening the door, as it opened way before he could do it himself.


    Then he looked up, and was pressured briefly by the many eyes staring at him. Some of apathy, some of curiosity, some of uninterest, some of bitterness, a chorus of varying gazes.


    ''Wh¨CWhat''s going on...? Why does it seem like they were expecting me?'' He thought, wary and cautious. ''What now..? All their presence... supersedes my own!!''


    "Please, be it ease and make yourself at home, young master Lanzelet." Adonis said, showing the young man an empty sofa not far away from Harold''s position.


    "..."


    The new entrant called Lanzelet, remained frozen and carefully appraised the room. He felt danger from everyone, but threat from a select few. ''The two overly beautiful couple there, the guard before me, the maid behind the prince... I should not¨C''


    "We don''t have much time. If you cannot enter, let us know of your purpose right there, then." Damien said, slightly scaring Lanzelet, "Or perhaps, you want us to see you as an enemy instead?" He added.


    ...!!!


    And with those words, the four greatest threats within the room, became even more dangerous to his senses. ''I''ll die... I''ll really die!!!'' He thought, holding his breathe.


    "Now now, let''s not be hasty here." Harold said, and smiled at Lanzelet. "What is your purpose of visiting us today, young master? Take your time, rx, and breathe in."


    "..."


    Lanzelet did as he was told, and that helped calm his nerves by a bit. Then he said, "...I cannot allow this to happen. I... I won''t allow you to take what my family has spent years building, just because you can... I won''t!!"


    He grit his teeth, his Mana being subconsciously riled up, and manifesting as red aura around his body. ''A master profession? A swordsmaster to boot. How interesting.'' Thought Damien.


    Adonis kept his bitter smile, and said, "...I see. And I understand, but unfortunately, it''s a royal decree, young master Lanzelet. Not something¨C"


    "To the deepest pits of hell with that!! I challenge you for the position of city lord!! Now!!" He roared, his eyes zing with rage and frustration, as his aura burst out.


    Bang~


    The tform below his legs, and the door frames abruptly shattered into web-like cracks due to the pressure he let out.


    ''Now isn''t this interesting? Sword aura, huh?'' Damien mumbled to himself, a hint of smile creeping up onto his face. Sixth also had the same thoughts, ''About time something interesting took ce around here.''


    Meanwhile, Juliette and Fiona sighed, feeling pity for Adonis. Harold and his peers were not bothered, as they showed only a hint of interest.


    "Look here, young master Lanzelet, you can''t juste here and challenge a royal decree. You can''t do¨C"


    "It''s alright, miss Fiona. I ept." Adonis interrupted Fiona''s words, surprising her a bit. "Adonis..." "It''s fine. There''s no need for you to worry, miss Fiona. I know what I''m doing."


    He assured her, standing up and facing Lanzelet. "I agree to your challenge. If I lose, you can obtain rights to the city as usual, and if I win, you are to serve under me as a knight. How does that sound, young master Lanzelet?"


    He boldly added, picking up a sword as well. ''I understand how you feel, but that... does not mean I am willing to back down on my goals and ambitions. I apologize.''


    "Agreed. But... how am I to trust you that you will keep your word after you lose?" Lanzelet epted with a query of doubt.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I''ll forge a legal contract for you two. How does that sound?" Damien said, and though Lanzelet wanted to ask who he was, he held himself back.


    ''If I did, I''d die.'' He thought, side eyeing the guard that stood besides the door. ''I''d definitely die!!'' And he was very much sure about that. The senses of a swordsman were potent.


    "Many thanks, sir Damien." Adonis lightly bowed in gratitude, convincing Lanzelet that Damien was of a higher status. ''Strange, who is this man..? This situation is too cryptic, but I have no other choice.''


    "Alright, I ept. When do we duel?"


    "Today. Right now." Adonis answered, taking the lead and leaving the the room first. Lanzelet nced back at the room onest time, and followed after him.


    "Let''s go." Damien stood up, and Juliette followed after. Then likewise, the rest also did so, Ninth being thest member to leave the room... right after cleaning up.


    Soon, everyone stood around the training ground of the estate, watching Adonis standing off against Lanzelet. "Is this really okay?" Fiona sighed. "...Guys." She added in disappointment.


    "Nothing we can do about it, they are brutes." Juliette shrugged with her response.


    "..."


    Ninth did not say anything, but nodded in agreement. "You''re right. They are just so senseless, and rash." Added Kiara.


    All the women had a single agreement pertaining to the men around them. Yet the same men around them, were more than shameless enough to ignore them.


    "Who do you think will win?" Damien asked, none of the words from the other side registering to him. "I''d say the one I personally trained, but then again, that boy is a born genius in terms of the sword." Sixth replied.


    He then concluded, "So it''ll be hard. The boy Adonis isn''t half bad himself with the sword. But as for the winner, it is already given." He snickered.


    "I agree. Even from an intellectual standpoint point, I have to agree that the winner is already determined here." Harold added from his standpoint.


    ''You guys...'' Meanwhile, Lloyd sighed at the corner by himself. He was incapable of being shameless to this point. ''How are you not affected by those words.'' He felt pained.


    Meanwhile, on the battlefield, Lanzelet had a look of reminisce on his face. ''I remember practicing swordsmanship here, everyday, with master. Yet, here I am... fighting for my family''s honor, right on this very piece ofnd.''


    "Shall we?" Adonis stood at attention and held his sword ready. His stance was steady, graceful and majestic. The Adam household''s royal swordsmanship.


    "..."


    Lanzelet did not speak, and instead also stood at attention with his own sword stance. ''I will win, and once I do... I''ll send you crawling back to the capital city!!''


    He kicked off the ground and rushed towards the opponent like a gale of wind. He then swung his sword from an acute angle, straight towards Adonis'' neck.


    ''Straight for the kill..?'' Adonid thought, yet to his surprise, he was not as worried as he thought he would be. Not one bit. Nor was he agitated, or nervous.


    He heard about Lanzelet''s reputation as a sword genius, and the fact that he also had a swordsmaster as a teacher from a very young age to apany him.


    While he, on the other hand, was born frail and weak, and dumped himself in books. He only began swordsmanship two months ago, when his ss enhanced his physical condition greatly.


    Yet... right now, he felt like thetter was too slow!! ''Compared to senior Sixth, young master Lanzelet is a bit too slow. I can easily read his movements.'' He thought, raising his sword to block the strike.


    ...!!!


    But to more of his surprise, he saw the sword from Lanzelet swiftly change direction from his neck, and towards his waist, like a snake twisting itself in a dance.


    ''A fluke..?!'' He finally panicked, and clumsily blocked the strike with fast reflexes. An instinctive response thanks to Sixth''s usual beatings. ''He blocked it?!'' Lanzelet frowned and retreated.


    ''He''s not bad, no, he''s actually good.'' He assessed, charging over for yet another strike. And this time, Adonis was more than ready and aware.


    Lanzelet threw a flurry of sword strikes at him, and he did an amazing job at blocking each and everyone of them, albeit on the retreat at every strike blocked.


    Their stance and sword postures making them resemble elegant dancers, and the ringing sounds echoing out as their swords shed, creating the perfect melody for them.

 Chapter 141 Swordsmasters

    ?"Whoa... they... they are amazing." Fiona marveled. As a princess, she wasn''t allowed to see swordsmasters fight like this on the stage, hence why this fight was beautiful to her.


    "Mhm. I have to agree, they are amazing. It gives out a feeling like, they could take on hundreds by themselves." Quipped Juliette, yet unlike Fiona, she was used to seeing something like this.


    In fact, amongst the Gray House, almost all of them gave her a feeling of being a one man army. And another one, had literally proven this feeling once. ''Which is why most nations hate the Gray House.'' She added in bitterness.


    Keng~


    Adonis blocked yet another attempt at his life, as the force from the strike pushed him backwards. ''I managed to block it again, but at this rate, I''ll lose... I cannot keep defending forever.'' He assessed.


    [ Name: Adonis Adams ]


    [ Mana: 58 425 ]


    [ Epithet(2): Natural Born King, King Candidate ]


    [ ss: Lvl 6 Primordial Star Emperor ]


    [ Sub-ss: None ]


    [ Life Essence: 3,951 ]


    ''Level 6 still, and yet I have a lot of Life Essence in stock.'' He thought, pulling back from Lanzelet. ''And the other party... must have reached above level 20 by now.''


    He always knew that he had enough Life Essence to reach a very high level. But the fact that he always felt like his skills were still not enough for that required level, he held back.


    ''Yet nows not the time for that. If I want to win, I''ll have to reach a very high level as well. Skills alones are not enough!!'' And with determination, Adonis changed his posture.


    From defense, he was on the offense.


    ...!!!


    And that alone, changed his aurapletely to that of a ferocious beast, ready to devour anyone on its path. ''This is minor attempt at using the oppressive force from senior Sixth. A far cry from the original, but an assert nheless.''


    He was not stupid. He knew that Lanzelet was a powerful opponent, even when he agreed to the duel. And he had his reasons for that, regardless.


    One, he had enough Life Essence to reach a higher level as well. Two, he had experience at taking a beating. Andstly, his enhanced physical condition.


    ''Level me up to the max!!'' He willed, his body uncharacteristically exploding out in obscene waves of power and bluish magnificent aura.


    Boom..!!


    [ TING!! ]


    [ You have spent 3,840 units of Life Essence to Level up all the way to Level 23 ]


    [ You have Leveled up... You have Leveled up... You have Leveled up... You have Leveled up... You have Leveled up... ] (¡Á3)


    [ You have Leveled up... You have Leveled up... You have Leveled up... ]


    The bluish aura around Adonis exploded out in fervor and excitement, riling the sorounding Mana to circte around him in joy. Like a child weing back it''s father, like a¨C


    "¨Cservant bowing down to its king." Damien said, shocking everyone abounding him. No, he did no such thing, Adonis did the shocking at this moment.


    ''This... This feeling traversing through my veins... is it, power..?'' And he thought in stupor, seeing the world in a different light, a different form if beauty.


    Instead of trees and buildings, he saw particles of varying colors and nature. He saw colorful waves of varying sizes, snaking past the countless particles.


    He saw... ''Elegance at its finest...'' He marveled at the scenery before his eyes.


    And at that moment, one particle suddenly erupted in light frequency, attracting his attention. The particle shot a beam of light towards a nearby particle of the same color, resonating with it.


    Once that particle lit up as well, it transmitted the light towards another one, then another one, until finally, the beam was fired straight to his forehead. ''This is..!!''


    ...!!!


    Adonis widened his eyes and swiftly dodged the beam, his eyes shing in blue brilliance and seeing the world as it was, the beam rushing past him... now a de cloaked in red aura.


    ''I... see...'' His eyes shing a brighter brilliance of blue, staring down at the slow moving figure of Lanzelet, whose own blue eyes shed with an oppressive red brilliance, who, side eyed Adonis in shock.


    And during the instantaneous exchange, Adonis hurriedly swung his sword and Lanzelet flipped his wrist, forcefully rotating his de almost 180¡ã over his shoulder and blocking the attack.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Keng~!!


    And he was forcefully pushed back a couple of meters away thanks to Adonis'' new found strength, and his previously unstable posture when blocking. ''Im...Impossible..!!'' He eximed in shock.


    ''Such strength...'' Meanwhile Adonis marveled at the power dancing at his finger tips. Yet even then, the young man felt unsatisfied. ''What if... What if I poured Mana into my de..?''


    The desire of a King stretches beyond the bounds ofnd and distance, and likewise, exceeds the barrier of logic andmon sense!!


    He put such thought to action, slowly putting Mana into his de, yet he felt it tremble in unstability. ''No good..? Well it''s fine. I''ll ask sir Damien after this. For now...'' He looked up at Lanzelet, his expression calm.


    His Unique Ability, [King''s Temperament], taking its effects without his awareness.


    ''Let''s end this..!!'' Lanzelet grit his teeth and tightened his grasp over his sword, looking menacingly at Adonis. Their thoughts resonating together.


    Lanzelet held his sword linear to his chest, and focused his intent around it, releasing a much more potent red aura around the de. ''Focus. Focus. Focus..!!''


    Boom~!!


    The red aura exploded out, destroying the floor beneath him, and spreading out as tendrils of invisible waves of power. Deep and fathomless oppressive power!!


    The aura thenforcefully guided the Mana from his body to circte around the de, and enforce itself into the aura and onto the de, turning it red as if heated in moltenva.


    ''So that''s how you do it... not by just forcing Mana into the sword, but guiding with one''s will.'' Adonis thought, first enforcing his will onto his sword. ''But what was my will..? No, to be precise¨C''


    What is my goal? To be King.


    What is my desire? To rule.


    So, what is a will? Both of the two? I am not too sure, but I believe it is as such.


    He thought, the Mana around him settling itself down to him, as if respectfully bowing down to his will bottled up within his sword.


    And when his will was felt, the Mana willingly circted itself around his de, empowering his sword will and beautifying his presence... Like a king on a pedestal.


    Rising oppressive red aura on one side, and calm royal blue aura on the other. The two young swordsman were ready to end the fight right there. Their spectators watching with bated breathes.


    "Might be only me, but I''m feeling like things won''t end well here." Sixth snickered, leaning casually on a pir. "Agreed. I feel like we are in danger by just standing here." Harold affirmed, feeling greatly uneasy.


    "That''s to be expected. The aura of a swordsmaster would easily oppress arge range." Damien added, "And if they do collide, this entire castle will copse. If not the entire district."


    "Really?! Then why are we not stopping them?!" Fiona panicked. She wasn''t the only one though. "Dammy, a lot of people might die if we don''t do something about this." Juliette frowned.


    "I know." Damien sighed. ''Let alone the entire manor, even the soroundings would be affected. Luckily, they are still just novices, and have yet to properly go through the baptism of realm breakthrough, otherwise... arge portion of the city would be affected.'' He thought.


    At that moment, Adonis and Lanzelet silently rushed at each other, only seeing one another as opponents. ''This battle¨C'' ''¨CEnds here!!''


    ''¨CRight now..!!''


    They both thought in synchronization, thetter stabbing ahead, and the former shing forward, but regardless... both swords would still sh at the center of it all.


    ...!!!


    "Damien..!!" Everyone held their breathes, as their hearts skipped a beat.


    Fiona burst into mes, and Juliette spread out her hands, Mana intricately circling around her with more fervor and excitement than when it was around Adonis.


    Yet Damien, remained standing, with his hands folded before his chest. To him, everything was in slow motion, as if a video was being watched at 0.5¡Á seconds.


    He then sighed, and lightly called out, "Senior..." "No problem." And the man called, responded with a smile, before moving at insane speeds, like a jet on full speed.


    He was so fast, he exceeded the short span of time that Fiona required to summon her mes, or the even shorter span of time that Juliette needed tomand a magic circle.


    He disappeared from his initial position, and appeared right before both Adonis and Lanzelet''s swords, shocking the two greatly.


    ''This man..!!''


    ''Senior..!!''


    They both eximed in shock, yet were unable to stop themselves. Hence the two swords, one red, one blue, were still going to sh, or rater, piece through him.

 Chapter 142 Competition

    ?A single man, like a wraith from hell, appeared before the two swords that were about to sh at the center. ''This man..!!'' ''Senior..!!'' And the two opponents eximed in shock.


    "Heh, me? Piece through me? In your wildest... dreams!!" Commented Sixth, releasing a much more potent burst of white aura, that swept away the soroundings away like a flood.


    Boom~!!


    The white aura burst out, and easily swallowed the very small red and blue aura inparison, and pushed back the two young novice swordsmasters.


    At the same time, such a sword aura, had touched upon the realm of supernaturals, and slightly froze the ground and garments of the two young swordsman.


    "Argh..!!"


    "Mghf..!!"


    The two were not only pushed back, but also pressed down by immense pressure and weight, a first time experience for someone like Lanzelet.


    ''This pressure... exceeds anything I''ve ever felt before!! Master doesn''t evene close toparing..!!'' He thought, gritting his teeth so hard, veins popped out on his head. ''Too... much..!!''


    To make matters even worse, the white aura around them, was more potent and denser, like an endless sea of white, swirling dangerously above their heads.


    Hence increasing the rate at which their bodies and environment froze.


    ''What... level of... swordsmanship... is this..!!'' He thought in despair, as not only his body was being pressured, but even his mental capacity were growing sluggish.


    "A grand master''s sword aura. A far differencepared to novice swordsmasters." Damien said, as even those around him were affected by the pressure oozing out of Sixth.


    The three Romanian seniors were on their knees, and Fiona was struggling for breathe, while the Sword aura dwarfed out her mes. Meanwhile Juliette and Damien used their high realms to offset the pressure.


    ''But this is iparable to ordinary grand masters, as senior has had achievements far above grand masters. His only limiting factor was being a human without ess to Mana.'' He thought, casually offsetting the pressure for the others as well.


    "My apologies for making you go through all that." He added, a light smile on his face. ''You don''t seem sorry though..!!'' ''I... I can''t feel my legs.'' ''As expected..of a gray devil.''


    And they all had responsive thoughts to his words and smile, which only made him look even more appealing. To the point where they couldn''t even get angry at him.


    "Senior, that''s about enough." He said, and the white aura disappeared as abrupt as it appeared, leaving behind unsettled wind, two young man lying down on the ground half frozen, and another one standing in between them.


    "Yeah yeah. Man, this feeling never gets old." Sixth chuckled yo himself, walking back towards the spectators. "And expect an even more intense training session from today onwards, as you''re now a master as well." He added lightly.


    "..."


    And those words, were nothing less of a death sentence to Adonis, who forcefully pushed himself off the ground. "Yes, senior." He replied with a sigh of wariness.


    Afterwards, he stood up and stretched out his hand to help Lanzelet up. "I guess, there''s no winner for this fight of ours. So, how about we¨C"


    "Get your hands away from me." Lanzelet said, smacking Adonis'' hand away, and standing up by himself. "I don''t wanna hear anything from you bastards. All I want to know is that why did you stop me?"


    He asked, gritting his teeth in anger. "Why can''t I stop you?" And Sixth casually shrugged his shoulders with his response.


    "It''s because I was going to win, right?! That''s why you did that, didn''t you?!" And those actions of his only angered Lanzelet even more.


    "Heeeh~ Is that so?" Sixth snickered at the young man, his eyes showing nothing but disdain. "For a swordsman, you sure aren''t honest with yourself. Come on, we both know you felt it."


    "...Felt what?"


    Sixth kept snickering him, and even chuckled before bursting out into tantughter. "Pfft¨CHahahaha, hahahaha!!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Lanzelet froze in shock, but the more he heard sixth''sughter, the more he felt angry and humiliated. "Why you..!! How¨C"


    "Save it, save it!! Hahaha, I don''t wanna hear it." Sixth keptughing, and Lanzelet almost burst out in rage, yet held himself back due to the difference in power levels.


    "S¨CSenior... there, there is no need for this, is there?" Adonis tried to alleviate the matter at hand, as he felt it unnecessary for everything to escte to such an extent.


    "Yeah yeah, shut your mouth. Today I''m in a good mood, so... don''t bore me." Sixth said, then turned back to Lanzelet. "Face it, brat. You felt the threat of death from that exchange, didn''t you?"


    "What..? I felt no¨C"


    "It was obvious enough to not only me, but to even a bunch book worms." He said, and a few people felt offended by those words, yet did not disagree. He then continued, "You knew you''d lose, and you''re just bitter now. So bitter it''s funny, so bitter it''s disgusting."


    "...What?" Lanzelet froze, looking at everyone around him in shock. ''No, that''s not it. I wasn''t going to lose... I wasn''t... I...''


    Everyone seemed as if they were looking down on him, scorning him with their disdainful res, ''No, I was... I was going to win... I am Avarice''s best sword genius... I...''


    "That''s true." Damien said, his words garnering the attention of everyone else. "It indeed us true, that you would have lost. But... anything can happen, do perhaps you would have won, by a stroke of luck." He added.


    "Heh, luck? Luck is never a factor during a battle. It''s only a tool used by those bitter at their lose, a desperate attempt to soothe their fragile egos." Sixth added, clicking his tongue in annoyance.


    "True, but we can not say he won, if you interfered. Even if the results were already clear." Damien said, "Hence you shall your battle again, a few months from now, at the opening ceremony of the Silver Institute."


    "You two, shall be the main attraction point, and the final battle at thepetition that would be held at the ceremony. Or perhaps, do you disagree?" He concluded with an inquiry, his apathetic eyes looking down on both of them.


    And the two also looked up at him in shock. But not only then, everyone else were shocked at this moment, including Juliette herself. "We are holding a ceremony? Let alone that, even apetition?"


    "I just thought about it. Or wouldn''t it it be a perfect opportunity to advertise ourselves, while also giving everyone a hint of excitement?" Damien responded, looking back at her. "What do you think?" He added


    "Do I even have a choice at this point..?" And she rolled her eyes at him, pouting in displeasure. Damien saw through that, but kept quiet. ''She''lle around, soon enough.''


    "I have no problem with that." Adonis responded first, showing his stance on the matter. ''Hopefully, this will solve all the problems caused here today.'' He thought.


    "...Fine. I agree." Lanzelet also agreed, yet he was still looking up at Damien in shock. ''Who... is this man? Why is he respected by this guy here? And why did that terrifying man listen to him? Who... is he?'' He thought with a frown.


    If Sixth was far stronger than his master, and was listening to someone else''smand, then how strong was someone above him? How strong was Damien?


    Such words tormented his thoughts, yet nobody had the heart to stop them. "In that case, take this small fight as a greeting of sorts. The real duel, will take ce at the Silver Institution." Damien closed the matter with such.


    "Wai¨CWait, lord Damien, can I also join? I mean thepetition." Fiona asked, already excited about the opening ceremony of the Silver Institution.


    "Sure. You can also bring more from Romania as well, if possible, I''ll also bring some from the other Strongholds. It will be a big day." Damien responded, and Fiona bloomed at his words. ''YES!!'' She thought.


    "..."


    Meanwhile, Lanzelet was even more surprised by those words. ''Romania? Who is... wait, now that I look at her, isn''t she...'' He widened his eyes, guessing the identity of Fiona, and Harold.


    ''The royal family of Romania? Why are they here with Adonis..? No, they are not with him. Then, are they with that man...'' He thought, ''She also called him "Lord Damien", is that his name?''


    "If that is solved, shall we begin the domain fusion process? I''ll take Fiona to Romania, and we should be starting after five minutes. Is that okay?" Damien said, and nobody had any qualms to that.


    They were excited about the Fusion, and what that might imply to their growth from here on forth. ''It''s finally time, huh..?'' Fiona thought, getting a but nervous.


    Meanwhile, Lanzelet felt left out and kept within the dark. He was still confused why two royal family members, of two different Strongholds, were kissing the feet of aplete nobody!!

 Chapter 143 Words Of Advice

    ?Meanwhile, Lanzelet was even more surprised by those words. ''Romania? Who is... wait, now that I look at her, isn''t she...'' He widened his eyes, guessing the identity of Fiona, and Harold.


    ''Romania? Fiery red hair and eyes? The royal family of Romania? Why are they here with Adonis..? No, they are not with him. Then, are they with that man...'' He thought, ''She also called him "Lord Damien", is that his name? But "Lord"? What''s going on...''


    He drowned himself in worry, suddenly realizing the situation he had put himself in. A dangerous one. He was at the pulpit of a lion''s den!!


    "If that is solved, shall we begin the domain fusion process? I''ll take Fiona to Romania, and we should be starting after five minutes. Is that okay with everyone?" Damien said, and nobody had any qualms to that.


    They were excited about the Fusion, and what that might imply to their growth from here on forth. ''It''s finally time, huh..?'' Fiona thought, getting a bit nervous.


    Meanwhile, Lanzelet felt left out and kept within the dark. He was still confused why two royal family members, of two different Strongholds, were kissing the feet of aplete nobody!!


    He thought as he forcefully used his Mana to clear out his thoughts, and brought himself serenity. ''But it''s fine. It''s fine. I''ll return, and investigate this properly from now on. Then... I''ll have the confidence to strike.''


    He took a deep breathe to clear out his thoughts, and stabbed his sword down on the ground. He then performed a bow, a noble etiquette of sorts, garnering the attention of everyone within the training grounds.


    "May I please gather your attention. First, I''d like to humbly apologize for my manners. It was unbeffitung of me to act the way I acted, and I have disrespected a lot of you. My apologies." He said in sincererity, his words dealing more shock than his actions.


    It was unexpected, especially considering his previous behavior and the first impression he made. But then again, he was still a noble, so perhaps it was understandable that he had a few manners.


    The soroundings were nketed in silence, as all eyes just horned onto him. Yet Lanzelet did not flinch nor falter, as he had determined himself to apologize.


    "Recklessness is not something most of us can fight against, especially when it rtes with our loved ones or goals. I for one, would not hesitate to do something unbeffitting of me, for the love of my life standing besides me here." Damien said, and his words had a certain someone blushing in embarrassment.


    His words were true, and held no lies within them. Most humans were like this, it was just a Trait of them. Selfishness.


    "Yet that is never an excuse, especially for people with great responsibilities upon their shoulders." He added, looking down at Lanzelet. "Hence a word of advice. Not everything is as society perceive it as. Just because they believe you''re the best, doesn''t necessarily mean you are the best. In fact, in reality, you could be far from it."


    "So to summarize... judge yourself based on what you can, and have achieved. Not based upon what other people say, or think about you. Not based on the delusions created by society for you." He concluded as such.


    "...Thank you for the advice. Thank you for your input." Lanzelet remained bowing, and responded as such to Damien''s words.


    Most were surprised that he took that lying down, and did not burst out in anger. But then again, some weren''t affected by his attitude regardless. ''As expected of a novel.'' Thought Harold with a smile.


    "Another word of advice from a senior swordsman." Sixth said, his gaze of disdain still prominent on his face, "The path of the Sword relies on the heart. The more open and honest you''re to yourself, the more your heart, will resonate with your sword." He said.


    Then with a snicker, he added, "A swordsman true to himself, will birth a sword true to its purpose. And one not true to himself, will birth sword not true to its purpose... To conclude, It''s never a disgrace to admit defeat, it''s only a disgrace to remain defeated. Live by that." He added.


    "...Thank you the advice. I shall remember it." Lanzelet suppressed his emotions and chose to take those words with a pinch of salt. Maybe one day, when he was calm, he would be able to see these words as advice, rather than as scorn.


    Once more, everyone looked at him quite surprised. ''Was he really taking these advices to heart?'' They thought to themselves. Yet it did not matter, as amongst everyone here, some just wanted what was best for him... or rather, for humanity, as he was part of humanity.


    "Well, it doesn''t matter if you will take our words to heart. What matters is we have said our portion, and the rest, rests on your hands." Juliette said with a smile, her tone soothing and melodic.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    It''s effect even had a small effect at dousing away at the anger that Lanzelet felt, and brought him a hint of inner peace. She then added, "A word of advice from me as well. Not everything is always in ck, and white."


    "Sometimes, there''s also red and blue, gold and silver, brown and yellow. Inymen terms, don''t be quite to judge the situation based on your emotions or feelings, investigate the matter, and who knows... perhaps you might find an answer much more rtive to one of your own experiences." She concluded.


    "...Thank you, madam. You have opened up my heart, and my soul with your words." And he responded as such, his reply not sounding as forced as before.


    ''I guess women are always good at it.'' Damien thought. ''This bastard...'' Sixth also thought, chuckling to himself. He was in an especially good mood today.


    The sorounding mood rxed, as everyone remained silent, looking at the still bowing down Lanzelet, who seemed contemtive of the words given to him today.


    And at the corner amongst the bystanders, one important personage suddenly had a one sided realization. ''Huh? Huh?! Huuuh?! Am, Am I supposed to go next? Is it my turn to give him a word of advice?!'' Fiona thought in panic.


    She thought everyone was being given a chance to advice Lanzelet on his ws, and she was next. Especially so, as Juliette stood besides her, and besides Juliette was Sixth, besides him was Damien. Everything happened in order!!


    ''I''m really next!!'' She froze, racking up her mind for any words of advice she could think of. ''What do I say? What do I say? That not everyone is smart enough..? No, that''s an insult!!''


    "Hm? Are you okay, Fiona?" Juliette realized the panic the young princess was having, and whispered in concern. "I... I am fine. It''s okay. I definitely got this." Fiona whispered back.


    "Hm..??" Juliette tilted her head sideways in confusion. ''Got what? Fiona, what are you talking about? Are we on the same page here?'' She thought to herself.


    Meanwhile, Fiona took a deep breathe and said. "A... A word of advice from me." Her words attracted everyone within the silence, and they looked at her. Even Lanzelet looked up at her.


    ''I''m getting nervous. I''m used to talking to people, but why am I so nervous today?!'' She thought, yet her words came out differently and with confidence. "As a noble, you have to be aware that there''s aways a hierachy of status and power everywhere."


    "There aremoners, who bow down to the might of nobles because they are of a lower rank. Same thing for nobles, towards a prince or princess, and them towards a king or a queen. Hence remember... not all actions are done because we desire it, but because even we have no choice but to do so, because of the hierarchy." She concluded, and the soroundings were left in a deathly state of silence.


    ''Whew, I said it. I''m not sure how it sounded like, but I''ve tried my best!!'' She thought, her eyes brimming with hope of sess, and of being praised. And a smug smile of happiness on her face.


    Yet what met her, was brutal silence. One so brutal, it could deal quite the severe strike to even an egoistic person. ''Why... Why is everyone so silent for..? Why are you all looking at me?'' She thought, her heart already sinking deep into the bottomless pits of shame.


    Pits so deep and soul tearing, that they would make the pits of hell themselves look cute inparison!!


    "Tha¨CThank you for the advice, your highness. I... I shall forever keep them in heart, and in mind." Lanzelet forced himself to look down, in case she saw his twisted expression, and responded.


    ''You... You are embarrassed, are you not?! You are embarrassed for me, isn''t that it?!?!'' She thought, almost copsing down in tears.


    "Princess, there was no need for you to say anything. Enough... had already been said." Damien said, dealing more damage to the princess'' already fragile heart bathing in endless shame. "Nobody wanted to know how you felt towards your father''s orders." He added.


    ''Waaaa...!!'' And that was enough for her to copse down and cover her face with her hands. Her expression already shaded pink with embarrassment. ''Somebody kill me..!!''

 Chapter 144 Development

    ?"There there, now. At... At least your advice was amazing. It even affected me." Juliette patted her back in attempt to soothe her feelings. ''Juliette... please shut up. You''re not helping me here.'' Fiona thought.


    "That''s that then. We shall see you in a couple of months then. Until then, enjoy yourself, young master Lanzelet." Damien said, ignoring the two girls besides him.


    "Thank you." Lanzelet bowed onest time, and fixed his posture. He then pulled out his sword from the ground, and pointed it at Adonis. "As for our battle... regardless of win or loss, you can, keep the city." He added.


    "No. A promise is a promise. The city is mine by now, and anything that happens to it, will only affect my end results. So... the bet will still remain as such; if I lose, you can obtain back Avarice. If I win, I can prove myself, and have your family serve under me." Adonis responded with a smile.


    "...Thank you." Lanzelet responded, turning around to leave after sheathing his sword. His business for today here was over, and he at least obtained an insight on the person who will be ruling Avarice. ''Naive. Simple... and idiotic.'' He thought.


    After he left, the area remained in silence, as the main character of the day was now Adonis. Without Lanzelet, he was now the sole focus of everyone else. "Everything said here today, also applies to you too, your highness." Damien broke the silence abruptly.


    "Huh..?" And Adonis looked up at him in shock. ''Me..? What did I do?''


    "You''re reckless." Damien responded.


    "You aren''t true to yourself." Sixth added.


    "You rely too much on your emotions and feelings to judge your situations." Juliette also added.


    "...You''re breaking the hierarchy." Even Fiona had something to say.


    "Mi¨CMiss Fiona? You, you too?" And Adonis felt betrayed by that. Her joining the others into reprimanded him was kind of... unexpected. ''Her words suddenly hurt more than the others.'' He thought.


    But he understood what they meant. His actions today, were not the best thought out there. He sighed, and humbly lowered his head, "Thank you. Today I might¨C"


    "You have. Correct yourself." Sixth disrupted the young man''s word with a smile. He was still in a good mood. ''Senior...'' And Adonis could only sigh and change his words.


    "Today I have disappointed you, and acted unbeffitting of a future king, of a junior, of a maturing young man. Your words have been heard, and will be remembered, hence I thank you once more." He said with a hidden smile.


    ''It''s not everyday... that I get scolded for doing something wrong. Father never cared, and mother loved me too much. Yet this feeling... I don''t dislike it.'' He thought, the smile on his face growing brighter.


    "It''s fine as long as you learn from your mistakes. Even stone can be diamond if sharpened enough." Damien said, "Yeah yeah, anf if you don''t, I''ll make sure they be a trauma for you so that you don''t repeat them." Sixth added.


    "Don''t listen to them. You''re already a diamond, just missing a bit more polishing. So don''t be stingy on yourself, and make sure you shine the brightest." Juliette also


    "Indeed... As a peer of mine, you don''t want to be left behind now, do you?" Fiona smiled at him, her phase of embarrassment over. "After all, my kingdom is much more than just stable."


    ''It''s not yours though.'' Damien and Juliette thought, but did not say that out loud. It was unnecessary to mention that.


    "Yes!!" And Adonis took all their words to heart, imprinting them there forever. ''I''ll make sure... to not disappoint you again. I''ll try my best on this path given to me.'' He thought.


    But it was not like he did not have his reasons for his actions. Proving himself aside, he did want Lanzelet as a knight of his own.


    With his Ability "Knight Bestowal", and the Inheritance he received from Damien, he believed he could create quite the powerful squad of knights.


    And he needed someone talented and strong enough to lead them as a captain. And who else would be more perfect than Avarice''s number one sword genius, Lanzelet himself? Exactly, no one.


    As for how he would win? He had hoped that his powerful physiology and two months of training would give him an edge over just pure talent. ''After all, it''s not like I have no talent myself. It''s just not good enough.'' He thought.


    "If we are done with that, how about we truly start up on the Fusion process?" Damien said, not sure how many times he had repeated the same words today.


    "Ah, Y¨CYes. Sorry about that, let us do that." Adonis bitterly chuckled as he realized that he might have wasted everybody''s time with his little antics. ''Now I feel bad.'' He thought.


    "Let us, but... how are we going to travel to Romania? Unless..." Fiona inquired, her eyes already looking at Damien with sparkles. ''Will we be flying there again..?'' And thought with high expectations.


    Damien saw through her thoughts, and suddenly had a nice idea. ''It''s not everyday I get opportunities like these ones.''


    "...An advice for you princess." He said, his words already dousing away at her excitement. ''I... have a bad feeling about this.'' She thought, "Reduce your expectations to zero, if you care about your mental health, that is." And Damien added.


    ''...I knew nothing good was going toe out of his mouth.'' She sighed in defeat, "Then... how are we going to Romania? Wait, we have to go to Romania, right? Right?"


    "Yes." Damien responded. ''Thank God I didn''t jump the gun this time around.'' And she sighed in relief.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Then how? Through magic?" And the dissatisfied princess scoffed at his reply. "I like how fast and easily you got used to be around me. But yes, we will use "magic" as her highness wishes."


    "..."


    Fiona felt defeated once more, and could only sigh at the corner. ''This man... hates me.'' She thought in despondence. ''I''ll get my revenge. I really will. You''ll see, lord Damien, you''ll see!!''


    Meanwhile, though Damien could guess her thoughts, he only chuckled at her antics. His words were true, he liked how easilyfortable Fiona could be around almost anyone. She was a vibe to be around.


    ''Anyhow, that aside, we should be making ns now.'' He thought, waving his hand and creating unique ripples throughout the void of space before him; like a stone thrown into a pond.


    "Hm?"


    And his actions attracted everyone''s attention. They were two months into this new world of magic and power, but they would never get tired of experiencing it first hand. Especially from a mysterious person like Damien.


    "Open." Hemanded, causing the ripple to spread out from the center, revealing apletely different region within. A region a few people here could not help but exim when they saw it, along with the person within.


    "Romania!! Father!!" Fiona eximed in shock, seeing the throne room of her father''s castle, and on it, seeing her father himself, looking back at them in shock. "...Well, isn''t it a pleasant surprise seeing you so soon, young master Damien?" He said, his tone bitter.


    ''Not only is he fast, but he can also manipte magic to such an extent? Or is it something else either than magic itself?'' The Romanian king thought. ''How powerful are the Grays right now?''


    "Stop gawking princess, this is simply a void portal. Now, your highness, let us depart." Damien said, helping her go into the portal, like the princess she was, "And seniors, if you desire it, you can alsoe. Your families might be worried." He added, towards the three instructors.


    "Nah. I''m not home sick as of yet." Harold responded quite fast, and so did his older brother from the other side. "Is it because you stole my savings before you left?" The king queried, his anger prominent within his smile.


    "Brother, what savings? Aren''t those the kingdom''s funds?" And Harold responded as such, already leaving the training grounds. "...Alright. Enjoy my money, brat. But just always know, that home is still here."


    "Hm. Don''t worry, I''ll always remember that, big brother king. Just learn to separate your money from the kingdom''s money next time, okay, your highness? I only wanted to borrow from thetter."


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    Everyone else were shocked speechless, while some, like Fiona who was already on the other side, was embarrassed almost to death. ''Uncle!! Father!!'' She gnashed her teeth in thought of their shameless antics.


    ~~~


    Romania, Within the Castle


    The Living Room


    Damien and Fiona sat on couch, while king Gregory sat on the other, opposite to them, with a bitter smile on his face. ''My daughter, it''s not my fault you know. I am a victim here.'' He thought with guilt.


    Meanwhile, Fiona kept pouting her face and refusing to even look him directly in the eye. Though she appeared as adorable, Gregory had no intention of teasing her at the moment.


    But, that being the case, did not mean that Damien was afraid of doing the same thing as well. "I don''t mind this, to be honest. In fact, if possible, it would be better if you kept that pout on your face forever, princess." He said, and Fiona''s feathers were strongly ruffled up.


    "S¨CSir Damien!! Wha¨CWhat are you saying?!?! That''s, that''s sphemous!!" She blew her top at him, her face burning red in embarrassment. ''It''s all fathers fault. Its his fault.'' She thought in even more anger, switching the me to him.


    "I was just saying. If our Fiona could always be as adorable as she is, she could tople down nations, isn''t that right, your highness?" He said, and king Gregory did not have it in him to agree, despite the desperate urge to say "Indeed."


    Why? Because the re his daughter threw at him was full of killing intent. ''Young master Damien saying it, is okay, but not me? My dearest daughter, where is the representation of blood is thicker than water here?''


    "Little Fiona''s cuteness aside, your highness, we are here for important matters." Damien said, realizing how the tension would not be reduced if he kept up his silence and teasing. At least, it would not end now.


    "Important matters? Enlighten me on them then, young master Damien. I''m willing to listen." Gregory took on a stern countenance, and went into business mode. Even Fiona had to stop ying around as well.


    This... was now business, and only business.

 Chapter 145 Domain Fusion I

    ?Damien then exined the matter about the domains, and how that would allow better transactions and contact between both Strongholds as well.


    He also introduced the benefit of creating a domain, and why that would be great for Romania as a whole in its progress in power. All that, and the ideas of creating a branch establishment of the Silver Institution.


    "I see. What a marvelous concept this is. Domains, is it? I don''t see how this will be against any of my goals as well, so I look forward to working with you on this, young master Damien." King Gregory said, shaking Damien''s hand to seal the deal.


    "But the Silver Institution matter. Honestly, I do want to agree, but I am not too sure how this will affect my nation as a whole. And, I''ve heard your words, but wouldn''t it be better if one was first established, at least... for a few months, before you could begin creating branches?" He added.


    Damien nodded, as he knew about that too. He was only bringing up the matter beforehand, so that afterwards, things wouldn''t be as hard. "I understand your concern, your highness. Then it shall be as such." He responded.


    "Thank you, for understanding young master Damien. Oh, but the schrs and teachers, I''m willing to contribute them beforehand, and if possible, retract them when our own institution is built. How does that sound?" King Gregory added, a smile on his face.


    "I see why not." Damien nodded. He could see through Gregory''s ns, but that had no major effect on his own ideas. Because whichever Stronghold ascends faster than the other, had nothing to do with him.


    That was the king candidate''s duty. All he had to do was support them as the founder of the project, nothing less, nothing more. And to also help, when the situation is in great need of his presence.


    "Then let''s begin the domain cement process. I''ll be inmand of doing it, since you''re still not powerful enough." Damien said, subconsciously rubbing Fiona''s head full of crimson red hair.


    He then paused a momentter, and stood up retracting his hand. ''Rough, but warm...'' She thought, with a small pout on her face, yet did not mind the treatment. Especially as she was used to having an older brother who was unrestrained with his manners.


    ''Boys...'' She thought with a sigh, thinking about what her older brother could be doing right now, where ever he was at. ''You idiot. Twice? How can you miss your idol twice in a row?'' She scoffed at him wherever he was.


    Meanwhile, Damien took out the Tier 1 Domain Seed, and ced it on the ground, causing it to release splendor that spread out throughout the whole Stronghold of Romania, invisible to the naked eye.


    And then, he willed it to spread over towards the nearby volcano, where he would designate as the edge of the Domain. ''Now, all that is left, it to just wait for the Domain to stabilize and grow a will of its own. Then take it from there...'' He thought to himself.


    The splendor released from the Domain Seed became more and more prominent, manifesting into the physical realm as a golden rain of glitter and a multicolored nket of mist cloaking everyone.


    This allowed all Romanian citizens to see the process of Domain imntation take ce. And it began by scanning the major elements of the sorounding region, and pushing out the minor elements at the same time.


    This made the multicolored nket of mist to be less multicolored, and more of a few isted colors. Red being the most dominant one amongst them.


    Afterwards, the Domain then pushed out any other element that could not match up to the red elements of fire, making it the major element instead. The nket of mist also became crimson red, and increased the sorounding temperature by more than twofold.


    Theva rivers of this Stronghold burned even greater in intensity, as the Volcano grewrger and more menacing. Like a hidden cannon of the gods, capable of shooting down stars ands with a single eruption.


    The sorounding geographicalndscapes also became imbued with the element of fire. Thend changed from brown to purplish, having traits of fire resistance to it.


    And the process continued, as after a moment of waiting, the soroundingndscape considered within the Domain''s range of influence, waspletely transformed into a new environment.


    And when that urred, a powerful presence made itself clear within everyone''s mind. Like a heavy burden weighing down on their fragile souls, giving them a feeling of inferiority.


    "..."


    Chaos spread throughout the whole kingdom, as nobody knew what was going on, or what was happening to their bodies. Those fragile and weak even fainted under the heavy pressure.


    While those strong, stood their grounds. Those in the first league going down on their knees at the weight they felt, those in the second league sweating buckets, and those in the third league, Damien for example, only felt ufortable at most. If not nothing at all.


    "I know you are just a newborn, but if you don''t retract your presence... I''ll snuff you out." He said, to nobody in particr, as his void powers threatened to burst out, twisting and reforming space itself.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    And just as those words were uttered, the pressure everyone felt disappeared.


    < ... >


    And following that, the will manifested itself before Damien''s soul, as a small sphere of light as bright as the sun, and probably even more powerful than one.


    It''s appearance and silence being as brief as a second shing by. Nobody could have anticipated it, but... nor could they have anticipated a will above even stars, to descend upon them!!


    Yet Damien did. He and the domain will had a staredown, as none said anything, nor did anything. They only appraised one another. One seeing the other as a tool, and another seeing the other as a threat.


    < Who... are you? >


    The domain will finally broke the silence and inquired, seeing as it could not pull out any information from Damien as it pleased. And that, only made him more of a threat to it.


    "The one who birthed you." Damien responded, standing his ground, as a bearing that even gods would feel cautious around, seethed out of his entire being.


    It wasn''t the bearing of a god, nor the bearing of a king. But... the bearing of someone who once transcended everything known to men and god alike. A bearing of someone who saw everything as nothing but an... illusion.


    < My... Creator? >


    The domain will thought, feeling great pressure from Damien''s gaze of apathy. It could feel that it was recently born, and the fact that Damien was the first entity it saw... meant that he might not be lying.


    Especially so, as it could not decipher anything out of him. All that added to its caution and fear for him. The fear of the unknown, and the fear of those above it.


    "Yes. You can consider me something of sorts." Damien responded. And those words weren''t a lie, as this domain wouldn''t be here, were it not for him breaking up the Realm where Flint fought the Realm Dragon.


    But that aside, before this took ce, he had burnt out 150 units of Kismetic Essence, to cut off undesired branches of what woulde of his current actions.


    Essence that was twice as much as the ones he burnt out to get Allianz to do to his bidding. And now, he was affecting an entity at the level of a lesser god. A daring move from his side.


    < ... >


    And one of the most favored paths that he came across, was of him using brute force and pressure, to obtain his desired results the easiest way.


    But it was not all. The major reason he chose this path, was rted to the fact that... if everything goes as nned, he could obtain a domain will as a part of his subconsciousness.


    "Now, what will you do?" He inquired, testing to what extent his Kismetic Essence had on the overall picture of Destiny. And whether... he could affect even gods with it!!


    < What... will I do? Is there even an answer to that question, my creator? >


    The domain will inquired, its toneing out as bitter and defiant. It easily epted its status. But Damien didn''t seem offended whatsoever by that. "I''m giving you free will. And looking forward to what my own creation... thinks of it''s purpose."


    < ...Free will, is it? So, you''re not curious about what I think of myself, but about what I think of your purpose in creating me? >


    "You catch on fast, I like that... Your thoughts and feelings mean me no value in this conversation." Damien nodded along his response, "So, are you willing to please me and answer my question, little will?" And added with a smile of mockery.

 Chapter 146 Domain Fusion II

    ?''What... happened to me?'' A logical thought from the future Damien Gray, the one who defied the established rules of Reality and of everything beyond as well.


    For he had reincarnated back into the past, or rather, regressed..? Or perhaps, reborn? He could not tell the answer to that himself.


    Reincarnation was starting up a new life, in a new world, with a new purpose. So it cannot be that. Regression was jumping back into the past, and redoing everything once more. It could be this, yet for some reason, he doubts he really jumped through time.


    Especially so, as the time gods themselves, or those capable of embodyingws and personifying them, or those ascending through thews, or even those beyond Reality... were aware of his descent.


    Not even the Primordial Source itself, that was beyond even Supreme beings by origin, could tell that he was not from this... ce. Hence its not regression. And it''s definitely not a rebirth.


    For a rebirth only applies when one is reborn at the exact same point they died. Yet he, was back at the past. The past of apletely different world, yet still the same. ''Perhaps it''s all three at once? But then... if that is the case, what is keeping my memories active? My purpose? My being?'' He thought of such a problem.


    And the only answer he could arrive to at the moment was... his past life or future self ego.


    As the ego of one who transcended Reality, could not be stopped by anything. Be it Reincarnation, Rebirth or Regression. Not even the current Damien himself, could go against such an ego.


    And thus... instead of fighting it at this moment, he instead used it. He borrowed a hint if it''s powered, and gained a bearing that was out of this world. A bearing of eldritch proportions, despite the great cost.


    "So, are you willing to please me and answer my question, little will?" He added with a smile of mockery on his face. A smile stemming from his previous life''s ego, and what the him of that time... thought about gods and their domains. ''Pitiful clowns. Unneeded illusions. Mistakes of existence.'' And the answer was as such.


    < ... >


    The domain will remained quiet, and instead floated before him in silence. It felt pressure, immense pressure, but no killing intent, nor death intent. Hence it concluded that this creator of it, had no malicious intention towards It''s existence. But then again...


    < ...Please enlighten me of the purpose of my creation, creator. I shall hopefully oblige to your set ups>


    It said as a response. Though it indeed felt no threat towards its existence, from Damien, it still felt threatened by his presence as a whole. Especially his void powers as the Void Embodiment.


    "Very good." Damien responded with a nod, his void powers greatly decreasing. ''Normally, it would be hard to destroy a domain will, but it would be very easy to disce it into the Void. And as a Tier 1 domain, it would be swallowed by my Void powers that only noble gods and above can fight against.'' He thought.


    And it was indeed as such. Basically, he was more powerful than the domain will. Especially so, as it was still a newborn domain, and had no experience nor abilities within its vault.


    "I''ve brought you into existence, for the sole purpose of aiding me elevate this entire region... into and even gods would envy. And I''d be proud of." He responded to its words, his smile retreating from his face, reced by apathy once more.


    < This region... into such and? How so, creator? >


    "Simple. Just allow yourself... to be basked in eternal glory of the Void." He said, his void powers resurfacing, but this time around without so much as a hint of pressure towards the domain will.


    < ... >


    And the domain will was lost for words, only staring at the burst of foreign power it had nevere across. But the reason for its silence, was the fact that this power... felt at peace with its core, with its existence.


    "Don''t stress the matter. Your only purpose is to throw yourself into the void, and it will be one with you. Be one with the void, let the void be one with you." Damien said, extending his hand forward with a smile. A smile of assurance, "To conclude, be one with me."


    He added, his eyes carrying an intoxicating glow within them. And unbeknownst to both of them, the Rune within his left eye, shimmered briefly before retreating back.


    < ... >


    Meanwhile, the domain will felt intoxicated. It did not understand how, or why, but it felt extremely attracted to the power of the Void that Damien summoned. Like a child, yearning the embrace of their mother.


    And at some point... it flew into the sea of Void power, the bright light brighter than a sun, being instantly swallowed without any defiance. It was gone... just like that. The Void was just that swift and precise.


    ''That... was easy?'' Damien frowned, wondering why the process was this simple. ''Though allowing myself to revel within my past ego, was an option, it wasn''t my true ego, hence it shouldn''t have worked this well. Then why..?''


    Doubt rose as he thought, yet that was a matter for another time. Right now, he had to manage his Void powers and the domain will, as if not... the domain might end up obtaining them for itself. ''And that... would be a disaster for me and Romania.'' He assessed.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    At the same time, he controlled the amount of Void power that he was feeding to the now intoxicated domain will. At least, enough to give it high Affinity with the Void itself, but no mastery with thew.


    Otherwise, that would be akin to giving away all his powers of the Void. Hisw attainments were still low, and could only be used by him alone at the moment. ''Distateful, but... I shall ept it as it is.''


    The sphere of light representing the domain will silently floated within the Void. It''s golden form being corrupted by wisps of ck mist, that manifested as ck spots on its perfect form.


    < What... is this ce? >


    It thought amidst it''s intoxication as well as its corruption. A feeling worse than being drunk, high and having a headache at the same time.


    "This is the Void." Damien''s voice echoed out around the domain will, like a luby. "It is also a portion of me. Or rather, I am considered an aspect of the Void itself." He added.


    < The... Void..? >


    It questioned, not understanding the new term itself. "Yes. You don''t have to think much on the matter. Just allow yourself to bask in the eternal glory of the Void, and also be an aspect of it. Be a part of me." He said.


    And following those words, the golden sphere of light was finally swallowed within the bundles of dark tsunamis, that took away half of its color, shading itpletely ck, then gray.


    < ... >


    The domain will remained quiet, as a part of its consciousness was stripped away, and reced reced yet another consciousness. Yet to it, both consciousness were one of the same entity... itself. Yet at the same time, it knew it was a part of another entity.


    Damien.


    And even he, was a part of an even greater entity altogether, the Void. It was a sort of hierarchy that allowed the will to broaden its knowledge and power on the world and of Reality.


    BOOOM~!!


    Power exploded out throughout the Void, as the sphere became half gold, and half gray in color, almost surpassing its own limits of being a Tier 1 Domain.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ You''ve done an amazing achievement. You''ve broken through a limit no other mortal has ever dared to break, by corrupting and allowing a divine will to be a part of your consciousness ]


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ You''ve achieved greatness, by bing one of the few mortals who have dared to y a divine entity through the strings of Fate, and the flow of Destiny itself ]


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ Congrattions!! The divine will assimted with your consciousness and the power of the Void, have broken through its shackles and is one step away from achieving a breakthrough ]


    [ You''ve obtained a hefty load of Life Essence for your various achievements. Half is sent towards your Bloodline. The other half is shared equally with your partner ]


    "..."


    Damien read through every notification and nodded after a thought. It was to be expected that he would break through the limits ofmon sense once again, but... ''Even this is not enough to satisfy my Bloodline?'' He sighed.


    His Ascendent Bloodline, that desired nothing but the acts of portraying Absolute!! And the power to break through Absolute Limits... was greatly unsatisfied. ''Another time, I guess.'' He smiled, looking forward to the challenge.


    At the same time, he waved his hand and transported the domain will back to physical realm, back to Romania.

 Chapter 147 Domain Fusion III

    <h4>Chapter 147 Domain Fusion III</h4>


    At the same time, he waved his hand and transported the domain will back to physical realm, back to Romania. "Retreat. From now on, do everything in ordance to my goals, and appoint Fiona as the master of this domain."


    Change of ns. He thought, as he hadn''t thought that subduing the domain will was possible two weeks ago, even as a Saint equivalent warrior. But now... it was proven possible, and Fiona, will get to start on her ascendency of kingship earlier than nned.


    < ...Yes, my creator >


    The domain retained back it''s focus and thoughts, and responded after a moment of thought. It was still marveling at the new power it obtained, and the experience of being thrown into the Void itself.


    "Now... all that is left, is to wait for Juliette to finish controlling her part of the matter, and then proceeding with the Fusion of domains." He added, his gaze directed towards the direction of the Shade Stronghold.


    < Fusion, my creator? There are more such as myself? Siblings? >


    "Yeah. You can think of it as such." He idly replied, ignoring it from there. The Domain will also did not say anything. Meanwhile Fiona and king Gregory stared at Damien in confusion.


    They were not privy to everything that took ce a moment ago. All they saw was Damien disappearing, and reappearing after a few minutes passed by. And then he turned to look towards the east while talking by himself.


    "Father... should we..?"


    "No. I think he is talking to that thing that had appeared not too long ago, my dear." King Gregory responded, a bit unsure of his words. ''Or perhaps a greater entity than that?'' He thought with a sigh.


    Meanwhile, back at the Shade Stronghold, Juliette also went through her own unique means of subduing the newly born domain will.


    But unlike Damien, her actions were a bit too tyrannical. No, that was a light term. She was too dominant with her bearing. "See? It did not hurt as much as you expected." She said, her entire body circting with terrifying elemental storms that forcefully ripped apart the space sorounding her.


    Terrifying tornados, world shaking tsunamis, ground breaking firestorms, and terrifyinglyrge boulders. All these natural features circted around her body like the rings of saturn.


    And as if that was all, the entire region that was supposed to be the mental space of the domain will, was forcefully converted into seas of pure and undted Mana Essence through "wless Mana Conversion", her only ss Ability.


    < ...!!! >


    The domain will did not respond to her heart stinging words, and only stared at her with fear and shock. ''Impossible..!!'' Was what it thought at the moment.


    "Hmm..? ''Impossible'', is that it? Is that what you''re currently thinking right now, oh divine will." She said, her face being painted by a beautiful smile. A smile that came out as sadistic to the domain will. "Well, it''s understandable. ''How could a mortal, be capable of such feats'', is it your follow up thoughts?" She added.


    And her words were said while she flew towards the sphere capable of outshining a literal sun in presence and power. "But you should know... I am not just a mortal. I am a woman in desire of making the man that willter stand above all else, fall in love with her. A woman in desire of bing the very derivation of Mana itself."


    She extended her hand towards its body, causing it to slightly tremble in fear. "I am... that kind of woman. That kind of mortal. So... engrave this in your mind from here on forth, that... there is nothing the Silvers cannot do." She added, gathering all her elemental disasters into her palm.


    Then using "wless Mana Conversion"?She used her Mana to intricatelybine the elements and the golden sphere, fusing them together and making it... a part of her own power. A daring feat!!


    BOOOM~!!!


    And an explosion echoed out, shaking the mental space they were in, and almost shattering it. Yet Juliette was unphased, as she continued with her duty, and ultimately seeded. ''So, it was possible.''


    She sighed in relief, as her daring actions were proven correct. ''But... it was fine, had it not worked, I would have controlled my power to at least not kill the poor thing. It doesn''t deserve it, after all.''


    Her thoughts were tainted with sympathy as she looked at the golden sphere sorounded by natural disasters, which at times, fused into itself, and were spat out more powerful.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ An amazing achievement. You''ve broken through the limits ofmon sense no mortal has ever broken, by imbueding your own power onto a divine entity, and allowing it be a part of your power ]


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ You''ve achieved greatness, by bing one of the few mortals who have dared to bring upon absolute fear and pure dread to the core of a divine entity ]


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ Congrattions!! The divine will assimted with your high Affinity of Elements has broken through its shackles, and has progressed through its path of breakthrough ]


    [ You''ve obtained a hefty load of Life Essence for your various achievements. Half is sent towards your partner ]


    "Whew. Finally, I''ve done it." Juliette sighed in relief, deactivating her Abilities, and reappearing back within the training ground where Damien left them a moment.


    < ... >


    Meanwhile, the domain will remained behind in shock, and still haunted by the power Juliette had manifested a moment ago. ''...Who, was that entity?'' It thought, d that it was still alive.


    "Lady Juliette, was it a sess?" Adonis inquired, seeing as Juliette reappeared after her own sudden disappearance like Damien. ''And of course I''d be worried.'' He thought.


    "Hm? Ah, yes. I''m done and dusted with my part of the work. All we have to do is wait for Damien to finish his own part as well." She responded with a smile and a thumbs up as a bonus.


    "Well if you''re done, I bet that junior brother of mine is as well." Sixth said, and Ninth nodded her head in agreement. "I also think so too." Even Juliette herself had to agree.


    ''They''ve got some trust in him, alright.'' ''Well, should I be surprised? He''s the only son of those two monsters.'' ''...Why should I care about any of this?'' Thest thought was from Kiara as usual.


    "Anyway, the process shoild be starting anytime from now." Juliette thought out loud, as she gazed at the natural elements of the now domain of Shade.


    And unlike thr domain of Romania, there were many elements dancing within the air at this moment. Though fire, water, air and earth were the highest because of her, the others were not far off either.


    BOOOM~!!!


    Suddenly, as she was gazing at the elements of the domain, she suddenly felt an explosion that shook the whole nation at its core. "Ah, us it beginning already?" She inquired with a smile.


    "What... What is beginning? The Fusion process? Lady Juliette, it is definitely the Fusion process right?!" Adonis inquired as he struggled to keep himself on the ground. "Quiet your yapping, kid. What else, if not that?" Sixth was the one responded with a scorn.


    He managed to keep himself on the ground with stability, his hands folded before his chest. Meanwhile, Ninth also stood respectfully aside, keeping her body steady as well. While the Romanian seniors were already swimming within the dirt.


    "Don''t be harsh on him, senior. He''s just curious about his people." Juliette chuckled, then responded. "Yes, your highness. This is the Fusion process. Watch as it takes ce. Watch, as the domains collide." She added.


    And those words, did nothing to calm the young king''s heart. ''Collide? Nothing good everes out of collisions,dy Juliette!! This will be a disaster for me, and my empty wallet.'' He thought in panic.


    Meanwhile, to Juliette''s eyes, she could see the domain appearing within a sea of endless darkness. The true location of the domain, despite also being anchored on the physical ne to the eyes of the other mortals.


    Within the ce, the nation, and the other region covered by the domain was encapsted within a multicolored membrane that separated them from the seas of darkness.


    And right now, a portion of the membrane extended itself outwards towards the seas of darkness, the Void, like a giant tube in search for something within the ocean.


    And from outside, she could see another tube also extending itself towards the one that was pushed out of this membrane. ''Are these the passage ways of the two domains? Then that bubble there, is Romania?'' She thought.


    The tubes also connected with their targets, the one from Shade connecting with Romania''s membrane, and the one from Romania connecting with Shade''s membrane, fusing to be one with the other.


    This created two passages connecting the two domains. One from Shade to Romania, and the other from Romania to Shade. ''Is this to allow fluid transportation between the two?'' Juliette assessed, as she continued to watch.

 Chapter 148 Domain Fusion IV

    <h4>Chapter 148 Domain Fusion IV</h4>


    The fusion also allowed all the elements within both regions to be able to swim to the other region, using their respective passages.


    Romania began having more of the other elements as well, while Shade had its fire elements rise up the roofs, making it and the Romanians wouldn''t mind visiting. Meanwhile, the elements from Shade also made Romania to be a ce even normal people could visit for a certain amount of time.


    ''It''s as if they are making the other more amodating of each other''s residents. What a marvelous concept.'' Juliette thought with a smile, her consciousness descending back to the material ne.


    "The process should be over in a couple of minutes." She said, deducing after seeing the process itself. She also felt closer to the naturalws of the world by seeing that urrence of naturalws itself. Especially the firew. ''In due time...'' She thought.


    Meanwhile, back to Damien at Romania. The current him and the two Vermillion family members were looking outside the window as they saw everything take ce.


    To the naked eye, the domain fusion appeared to them as a rain of multicolored glitter and sparkles, that fell upon everything and strengthening them greatly.


    But that was not all.


    Those within the First League experiencing bottlenecks, suddenly had abrupt breakthroughs. Or perhaps those who heard ideas stuck at a concept, were abruptly enlightened.


    A lot took ce, snd the kingdom, immediately became boisterous and talkative. There was no one, who had nothing to say to the current spectacle. Their current miracle.


    Within one of the third ss district of the nation, inside a two room house, the least developed houses of the nation, a young man rushed out from the backyard and into the kitchen in high spirits.


    "Hey hey, big sister I''ve finally did it!! I had a breakthrough in my ss!!" A young man rushed towards an elder woman, giving her a bear hug abd even twirling her around in joy, as he spoke.


    "Yes yes, I''ve heard you. Now put me down, lest I''ll have motion sickness again, you brute-heades cutie pie." The woman reprimanded the young man in return, and affectionately pulling at his cheek once he let go of her. "Geez, why are boys so undisciplined." She said with a smile.


    Within one of the middle ss districts, an old man living with a five room building, suddenly burst out into boisterousughter, attracting his wife, children and servants. "Bwahahaha..!! BWAHAHAHA!!!"


    "Honey..!!"


    "Father..!!"


    "Master..!!"


    A bundle of people, all of different sses and age, burst through into the man''s study, showing worry and concern on their faces. His wife and children at the forefront.


    "Haha, sorry sorry, haha, please forgive me my love, my children, my dearest people. Haah~ I just had a wonderful moment, I couldn''t help myself." The man stood up as he hugged his wife and children tofort them.


    With hisrge body, hugging three people wasn''t a big problem. "A wonderful moment? Honey, what could that have been..? No, wait..!! It cannot be, can it?!"


    "Haha, it definitely is, my love." The man, still in a jovial mood, responded to his wife. His children and servants already putting one and two together to understand the topic at hand.


    "Father... did you really have a breakthrough at your project? Is it an enlightment?!" The eldest child inquired in shock, asking the words everybody wanted to know.


    "Indeed I have, my boy. From today onwards, we will be moving on!! Sooner orter, we will find ourselves living within the high ss district zone!! Hahaha, finally..." He responded, and everyone broke down in fits of joy unique to themselves.


    A dream that was desired by both his and his wife''s parents before their parting, will finally be achieved by them. ''Finally... you can rest in peace, our mothers, our fathers.'' He thought.


    Meanwhile, within one of the few high ss district, an elderlydy above her sixties in age, suddenly knit her bros as she continued her cultivation in a lotus position.


    She had been cultivating day and night into learning the very meaning of fire and its purpose. And the formation of its very structure. How was fire formed? What corrtion did it have with magic and Mana?


    She put her focus into this from the moment everything changed, or perhaps, she had been looking for the meaning of fire before even this whole disaster began.


    From being a well versed into "Fire Science" before the arrival of The Primordial Source, to now being an enthusiastic chaser at thews of mes.


    And today... she felt enlightenment at her goal. She felt fire, stroking gently at her soul, whispering sweet nothingness to her heart, and caressing her desire gently and affectionately.


    Boom~!!


    Her body exploded out into mes, as Mana gathered in Hugh intensity throughout her hair, a couple of units into each strand. Afterwards, the Mana... burned. ''Mana is burning? How could this be? Isn''t Mana energy that... No, wait a minute. Wait a goddamn minute...''


    Her thoughts went into an overdrive as she focused intently at the Mana within each haur strand. She focused and assessed how the Mana transitioned from being pure essence of energy, to pure essence of fire.


    And from there, she marveled at how the pure essence of fire attracted the natural fire elements within the air, and feeding itself with those elements at quite a rapid pace. ''Like a vacuum sucking in dirt.'' She thought.


    And indeed, the process was as such. And after a few minutes of focus and assessing, she marveled once more as her hairpletely burst into mes. Real mes that could literally kill a person.


    "How fabulous..!!" She eximed in wonder and amazement, as her desire was partially satiated and satisfied. She marveled at how Mana and fire, had such a beautiful connection to one another.


    She bloomed at the mere concept of being able to create fire itself!!


    "This is a godsend miracle." She thought, controlling the Mana within her body to gather above her palm, then forcing it to change from pure energy essence, to heat essence. Yet the moment She attempted that, the Mana broke down and spread out within the air.


    Yet she wasn''t disheartened. No, she was far from it. "This is just the beginning. In just a couple of months, I''ll be able to freely conjur fire even with just a thought!!" She thought in high spirits.


    "Patience, Teine, patience. In due time, you''ll you''ll the greatest fire elementalist to walk the earth." She hyped?herself up, her red eyes already zing with desire.


    But these weren''t the only people affected, they were, in fact, just only the minority. As over half the kingdom benefited right then and there at the fusion of domains.


    And the one to benefit the highest out of all of them, was princess Fiona, located within the only royal ss district zone, and within the living room of the castle.


    "What... is this?" The youngdy thought in shock, as she saw her body being sorounded by tiny red glittering sparks of energy. All circting in and out of her heart.


    The spectacle was wondrous for herself, and fear inducing for others, one such as her father. "My dearest daughter, are you... are you okay?" King Gregory inquired in shock and panic.


    How could he not, when his car own daughter was about to be transformed into mes? ''This... was unexpectedly. But seeing as young master Damien is calm, it should not be problematic... right?'' He sighed to himself.


    "It will be okay. She is just gaining the favor of the newly fused domains." Damien saw through the man''s worry, andforted. "It will have no major effect on her wellbeing." He added.


    "Thank God." King Grgory sat himself back down as he sighed once more. Damien also stood aside, and set his gaze at the fusion process of the two wills of the domain, whilst also reading the bundles of information projected from The Primordial Source.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ An amazing achievement from you and your partner for fusing two domains and two divine wills despite your status of being mortals ]


    [ The process of fusion is taking ce and is at 20%pletion... 22%pletion... 26%pletion... 34%pletion... 50%pletion... 82%pletion... 100%pletion ]


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ You have sessfully fused two newly born realms that were augmented of their effects and power thanks to both of your interferences ]


    [ The resultant domain from the Fusion is a Tier 3 domain, separated into two regions. The Region of Romania, and the Shade Region (Avarice) only ]


    [ The two divine wills have fused and augmented one another, ascending themselves and standing beyond the naturalws ]


    "..."


    Damien read through everything presented to him, and called down the will that was born out of the new fusion of two augmented divine wills. ''It''s power should surpass the power of an ordinary Tier 3 divine will.'' He thought.


    The divine will was still marveling up of two shades of colors, half gold and half gray, both made up of mes. Yet around it, were natural features such as a river twirling around it, countless boulders acting as asteroids, and both controlled by powerful winds that focused them to circte around its body.


    ''A unique constitution for a small will.'' Damien thought. Yet what what considered small, was vaster than even thergest star known to mankind in size alone.

 Chapter 149 Domain Fusion IV

    <h4>Chapter 149 Domain Fusion IV</h4>


    The fusion also allowed all the elements within both regions to be able to swim to the other region, using their respective passages.


    Romania began having more of the other elements as well, while Shade had its fire elements rise up the roofs, making it and the Romanians wouldn''t mind visiting. Meanwhile, the elements from Shade also made Romania to be a ce even normal people could visit for a certain amount of time.


    ''It''s as if they are making the other more amodating of each other''s residents. What a marvelous concept.'' Juliette thought with a smile, her consciousness descending back to the material ne.


    "The process should be over in a couple of minutes." She said, deducing after seeing the process itself. She also felt closer to the naturalws of the world by seeing that urrence of naturalws itself. Especially the firew. ''In due time...'' She thought.


    Meanwhile, back to Damien at Romania. The current him and the two Vermillion family members were looking outside the window as they saw everything take ce.


    To the naked eye, the domain fusion appeared to them as a rain of multicolored glitter and sparkles, that fell upon everything and strengthening them greatly.


    But that was not all.


    Those within the First League experiencing bottlenecks, suddenly had abrupt breakthroughs. Or perhaps those who heard ideas stuck at a concept, were abruptly enlightened.


    A lot took ce, and the kingdom, immediately became boisterous and talkative. There was no one, who had nothing to say to the current spectacle. Their current miracle.


    ~~~


    Within one of the low ss district of the nation, inside a two room house, the least developed houses of the nation, a young man rushed out from the backyard and into the kitchen in high spirits.


    "Hey hey, big sister I''ve finally did it!! I had a breakthrough in my ss!!" The young man rushed towards an elder woman within the room, giving her a bear hug and even twirling her around in joy, as he spoke.


    "Yes yes, I''ve heard you. Now put me down, Ajax, lest I''ll have motion sickness again, you brute-heades cutie pie." The woman reprimanded the young man, Ajax in return, and affectionately pulled at his cheek once he let go of her. "Geez, why are boys so undisciplined." She said with a smile of joy.


    ~~~


    Within one of the middle ss districts, an old man living within a five room building, suddenly burst out into boisterousughter, attracting his wife, children and servants within the house. "Bwahahaha..!! BWAHAHAHA!!!"


    "Honey..!!"


    "Father..!!"


    "Master..!!"


    A bundle of people, all of different sses and age, burst through into the man''s study, showing worry and concern on their faces. His wife and children at the forefront.


    "Hahahaha, sorry sorry, haha, please forgive me my love, my children, my dearest people. Haah~ I just had a wonderful moment, so I couldn''t help myself." The man stood up as he hugged his wife and children tofort them.


    With hisrge body, hugging three people wasn''t a big problem. "A wonderful moment? Honey, what could that have been..? No, wait..!! It cannot be, can it?!"


    "Haha, it definitely is, my love, it definitely is." The man, still in a jovial mood, responded to his wife. His children and servants already putting one and two together to understand the topic at hand.


    "Father... did you really have a breakthrough at your project? Is it an enlightment?!" The eldest child inquired in shock and astonishment, asking the words everybody wanted to know.


    "Indeed I have, my boy. From today onwards, we will be moving on!! Sooner orter, we will find ourselves living within the high ss district zone!! Hahaha, finally..." He responded, and everyone broke down in fits of joy unique to themselves.


    A dream that was desired by both his and his wife''s parents before their parting, will finally be achieved by them. ''Finally... you can rest in peace, our mothers, our fathers.'' He thought, at peace with himself.


    ~~~


    Meanwhile, within one of the few high ss district, an elderlydy above her sixties in age, suddenly knit her bros as she continued her cultivation in a lotus position.


    She had been cultivating day and night into learning the very meaning of fire and its purpose. And the formation of its very structure. How was fire formed? What corrtion did it have with magic and Mana? What was its purpose in life?


    She put her focus into this from the moment everything changed, or perhaps, she had been looking for the meaning of fire before even this whole disaster began. Even back on earth.


    From being a well versed scientist in "Fire Science", before the arrival of The Primordial Source, to now being an enthusiastic chaser at thews of mes... her passion of Fire was never extinguished.


    And today... she felt enlightenment at her goal. She felt fire, stroking gently at her soul, whispering sweet nothingness to her heart, and caressing her desire gently and affectionately. Embracing her desires with the same passion she chased it with.


    Boom~!!


    Her body exploded out into mes, as Mana gathered in high intensity into her hair, a couple of units into each strand. Afterwards, the Mana... burned. It zed at high intensity, and with wild intentions.


    Yet she still embraced it. ''Mana is... burning? No, that''s impossible. Mana burning... How could this be? Isn''t Mana energy that... No, wait a minute. Wait a goddamn minute...'' A slight epiphany striked.


    Her thoughts went into an overdrive as she focused intently at the Mana within each hair strand. She focused and assessed how the Mana transitioned from being pure essence of energy, to pure essence of fire.


    And from there, she marveled at how the pure essence of fire attracted the natural fire elements within the air, and feeding itself with those elements at quite a rapid pace. ''Like a vacuum sucking in dirt.'' She thought.


    And indeed, the process was as such. And after a few minutes of focus and assessing, she marveled once more as her hairpletely burst into mes. Real mes that could literally kill a person.


    "How fabulous..!!" She eximed in wonder and astonishment, as her desire was partially satiated and satisfied. She marveled at how Mana and fire, had such a beautiful connection to one another.


    She bloomed at the mere concept of being able to create fire itself!!


    "This is a godsend miracle." She thought, controlling the Mana within her body to gather above her palm, then forcing it to change from pure energy essence, to heat essence. Yet the moment She attempted that, the Mana broke down and spread out within the air, burning her flesh.


    Yet she wasn''t disheartened. No, she was far from it. "This is just the beginning. In just a couple of months, I''ll be able to freely conjur fire even with just a thought!!" She thought in high spirits, her ambitions and expectations of herself not one bit negative.


    "Patience, Teine, patience. In due time, you''ll you''ll be the greatest fire elementalist to walk the earth. The greatest women to ever touch Fire!!" She hyped herself up, her red eyes already zing with desire.


    ~~~


    A lot of people were affected by the fusion of domains, and experiencing ground breaking changes. Yet these weren''t the only people affected, they were, in fact, just only the minority of the bunch. As over half the kingdom benefited right then and there at the fusion of domains.


    And the one to benefit the highest out of all of them, was princess Fiona, located within the only royal ss district zone, and within the living room of the castle. Possibly the only one with a Hidden ss within Romania.


    One of the few humans chosen by their ss, instead of the other way around. A Destined Child born for nothing but greatness!!


    "What... is this?" The youngdy thought in shock, as she saw her body being sorounded by tiny red glittering sparks of energy and particles. All circting in and out of her heart.


    The spectacle was wondrous for herself, and fear inducing for others, one such as her father. "My... My dearest daughter, are you... are you okay?" King Gregory inquired in shock and panic.


    Yet how could he not, when his very own daughter was about to be transformed into mes? ''This... was unexpected. But seeing as young master Damien is calm, it should not be problematic... right? Right?!'' He sighed to himself.


    "It will be okay. She is just gaining the favor of the newly fused domains." Damien saw through the man''s worry, andforted. "It will have no major effect on her wellbeing, nor her life." He added.


    "Thank God." King Grgory sat himself back down as he sighed once more. Damien also stood aside, and set his gaze at the fusion process of the two wills of the domain, whilst also reading the bundles of information projected from The Primordial Source.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ An amazing achievement from you and your partner for fusing two domains and two divine wills despite your status of being mortals ]


    [ The process of fusion is taking ce and is at 20%pletion... 22%pletion... 26%pletion... 34%pletion... 50%pletion... 82%pletion... 100%pletion ]


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ You have sessfully fused two newly born realms that were augmented of their effects and power thanks to both of your interferences. This is an unprecedented achievement ]


    [ The resultant domain from the Fusion is a Tier 3 domain, separated into two regions. The Region of Romania, and the Shade Region (Avarice) for the time being ]


    [ The two divine wills have fused and augmented one another, ascending themselves and standing beyond the worldlyws ]


    "..."


    Damien read through everything presented to him, and called down the will that was born out of the new fusion of the two augmented divine wills. ''It''s power should surpass the power of an ordinary Tier 3 divine will.'' He thought.


    The divine will was still made up of two shades of colors, half gold and half gray, both made up of mes. Yet around it, were natural features such as a river twirling around it, countless boulders acting as asteroids orbiting its sphere, and both controlled by powerful winds that forced them to circte around its body.


    ''A unique constitution for a small will.'' Damien thought. Yet what he dared to consider small, was vaster than even thergest star known to mankind in size and density alone. And p

 Chapter 150 Domain Fusion V

    <h4>Chapter 150 Domain Fusion V</h4>


    [ ...Creator, you called. ]


    The newly formed domain will reigned in all its emotions and descended before Damien''s own will. Their obedience stemming from both wills, one from standing before its creator, and another because of feeling a greater threat than from Juliette.


    "If you''re done with everything, begin the bestowal of authorities now. The highest being this girl before me, and the boy within the other region. I know you know who I''m talking about." Damien gave out his decree.


    And of course, the domain will knew who he was talking about. It was Fiona, and Adonis. "Being of Tier 3, I''m sure you can also see to what extent their Destiny reaches, don''t you? Being on their good side will benefit you greatly." Damien added with a in tone.


    "As for the rest of the authority, do as you see fit. I''ll allow you the grace to glimpse at the paths of Destiny ording to your decisions made. And if you make any pointless decisions..." He continued, raising his hand to snap his fingers. "I''ll dly snuff you out."


    The power of the Void exploded out in fervor and exciting, as if waiting for the go ahead from Damien to devour the domain will.


    [ ...Yes, master. As you please ]


    The domain will remained silent for a brief moment, before forcing out a response. Having a quarter of its essence made up of the Void gave it slight awareness at the capabilities of the Void, and how powerful it could get.


    One being the fact that the Void was powerful enough to corrode at the protective barriers of the Universe. If it weren''t for the wills of the Universes fighting back... the Void would be able to swallow said Universe without resistance.


    The domain will did not wish to suffer such a fate. Especially so, as it was just recently born. ''I have enough authority regardless, and I''m allowed to do as I please.'' It thought, sighing at its unfortunate circumstances.


    "Good. Then be a good boy and always think about my opinion before you act." Damien added, his will returning to his body.


    [ ... ]


    The domain will also ascended back to its new mental space, and remained silent while watching. As a divine will, it''s thoughts and emotions transcended those of mortals, and understood the thought process of Damien and Juliette, its creators.


    At the same time, Damien just so happened toe across Fiona''s transformation, when his will returned back to his body.


    He saw her entire body being worshipped by ethereal mes that manifested themselves out of thin air, forging and reforming her entire constitution to their favor.


    Her beauty increased, and her bearing magnified. Her presence quantified itself, and her will solidified. In essence, she seemed majestic and divine now,pared to before.


    "It''s finally over." Damien said, and his wordsforted King Gregory''s heart to rest. His tumultuous emotions calming down. ''Haiy~ The old generation cannot fight back against the young, can we?'' He sighed with such thoughts.


    Fiona also opened her eyes, zing brilliance briefly shing out before subsiding. Then the fiery particles also retreated into her body, giving her skin a glossyyer. ''This is... I feelpletely reborn..!!'' She thought.


    She nced at her hands, and for a moment, could see fiery lights traversing alongside her blood within her veins. It was a wondrous thing for her. A never before seen concept.


    "Wow..." She marveled, clenching her fist and watching the fiery lights glow in brightness. A momentter, their brightness exceeded her skinyer and manifested as red light above her fist. "Wow..!!"


    The red light then burst into mes, causing her to exim even louder. ''This... This is amazing..!! I didn''t use any of my Abilities, but... I can freely manifest fire..!!'' She thought.


    "It shouldn''t be a surprise to you princess." Damien finally interjected towards her shock and self-inspection. His words bringing her back to reality, and forcing her to set her gaze on him. "It shouldn''t..?" She queried.


    "No. In due time, this will be the norm for most, if not all residents of Romania." Damien responded, stretching out his hand before himself, and forming a ball of mes within. "It''s simply calling out to thews of Fire." He added.


    "Thews of what..? And wait, shouldn''t controllingws be something impossible under normal circumstances?" King Gregory asked, a slight frown on his face.


    The educational system of the modern humans was still used in some areas, and the second generational humans had more knowledge on them. Topics such as myth and legends of Earth were also spread forth under "History".


    King Gregory was a fan of such topics, and a few characters within. Examples being the famous beings like Isaac Newton, Galileo, and the illusory gods of an even older time. Their stories had the introduction ofws within.


    And he desperately wanted to believe in Damien''s words, but they made noplete sense. Be it the illusoryws one could read from legends and mythology, or the scientificws of knowledge... controlling them should be theoritically impossible.


    "It should." Damien agreed to his words. The ball of mes within his hand twisting and changing form, bing a book of mes. "Under normal circumstances though. But if I were to do something about it, it should not be an impossibility anymore." And added.


    His blood boiled at those words, and the mere idea of creating something possibly illogical to the norm, and making it logical, excited him. At the crazy idea of making something as explicit as controling aw, normal.


    "If you... were to do something about it?" King Gregory echoed out those words to himself, taking on a thoughtful stance on the matter. ''As expected, the Grays have much bigger ns than I expected.'' He thought.


    He also realized that Damien''s knowledge far exceeded his by a far margin, considering the new environment and circumstances they were in.


    The only question remaining being that... ''What true goals do they have?'' He wondered.


    "So, lord Damien, you mean that something as simple as controlling fire can be achieved? Even by normal people?" Fiona wondered, her eyes attracted at the me within Damien''s hand, which changed to a fiery head that nodded at her words.


    Such control of fire was far beyond her level. No, it was far beyond anyone that she''se across ever since the descent of The Primordial Source.


    "Indeed. I can make that possible. All I just need is time." Damien responded, the mes changing once more into a wolf figure. "Unfortunately, I am not sure if we will have that much time." He added, the mes dispersingpletely.


    As for how he was able to do such little tricks, even without thew of fire?


    It was thanks to his experience, the obscenely high Affinity of Fire he received from Juliette, and the high concentration of fire particles within this castle.


    Together, they met the requirements for him to influence thew of fire to a certain extent. But he believed that once Juliette attains one, he will automatically have one as well thanks to their Ascendent Human Bloodline.


    "The wolves." Fiona frowned, as a heavy topic was mentioned. Even King Gregory had to sigh when the topic of the wolves were mentioned. "About those beasts... How goes your preparations of retaliation? We could offer our help, since we now have close rtions together. If, you desire it." He added.


    "The matter belongs to the Shade Stronghold and it''s residents. They will ask for help, were they to require it. As for me, I will also intervene if they need my interference." Damien responded as such.


    ''Speaking from a bystander''s point of view, I see. As expected of a world ss organization.'' King Gregory thought with a smile. The Gray House was always like that. "In that case, I shall wait for a report from my lovely daughter anytime from now, isn''t that so, Fiona?"


    "Mhm. I''ll definitely talk it out with Adonis." Fiona strongly nodded her head, her expression stern.


    Unlike her father, she knew why Damien chose to sit this one out. ''This is our test of being great Kings.'' She thought.


    Unfortunately, Damien had his own thoughts on the matter, either than those ones. ''Theing war will be a tform for many great warriors. Many will fall, and many will rise. What we need in the future battles is stronger men, not more men.'' He thought.


    "In that case, shouldn''t I prepare a proper delegation team to go represent me in the Shade nation?" King Gregory thought out loud, asking his daughter for her input.


    "I don''t think that''s necessary... Isn''t uncle more than enough? The own brother of the king? And me too, his only daughter. Isn''t that more than enough to represent you, father?" She rolled her eyes at him.


    "I guess it is..." Gregory sighed at the mention of his younger brother. The fact that he either had to stay broke for a while, or borrow from the kingdom''s bnce made him stress. ''Harold, oh Harold... what did I do to deserve you?''


    "Then that''s great. I''ll prepare a proper letter to disy to Adonis, and proper offers from our side. We will form rtions with the city of Avarice, and see how things will unfold from there." Fiona said in high spirits.

 Chapter 151 Domain Fusion VI

    <h4>Chapter 151 Domain Fusion VI</h4>


    "Then that''s great. I''ll prepare a proper letter to disy to Adonis, and proper offers from our side. We will form rtions with the city of Avarice, and see how things will unfold from there." Fiona said in high spirits.


    "Huh? Hold on, the city of Avarice? Isn''t the Shade King at the Shade capital city?" Gregory inquired in confusion, not understanding the words of his daughter.


    What did Avarice have to do with the Shade King?


    "Oh... I didn''t tell you about it..." Fiona also realized her fault, and began exining the situation within the Shade Stronghold.


    Everything from the royal family splitting up, to the independency of each city of the Shade nation.


    She introduced the whole situation of the Shade nation to her father, shocking him to a great extent. No, perhaps shock was an understatement of how he currently felt.


    "What on earth... is that fool Allianz thinking? How could he decrease his own nation''s man power like that..?" Gregory was left speechless after Fiona''s words. ''What is that man thinking? At a time like this even.'' He thought with a sigh of defeat. ''I give up.''


    ~~~~~


    Meanwhile, at the same time as everything took ce within Romania, the city of Avarice also experienced its own ups and downs, and boons of breakthrough.


    And since the poption was greatly lesspared to Romania, everyone benefited greatly at the profileration of essence andws of the whole city.


    And one of the many people to benefit being Lanzelet, the young master that had just challenged Adonis'' authority not too long ago. Right now, he had just arrived at his house, and dismounted from his stead.


    ''A disaster. What a major disaster!!'' He thought, his thoughts travelling back to the final sh between him and Adonis. ''I... would have lost.'' He finally admitted it.


    Now that he had cooled down, and had enough time to process the entire battle, he was now aware of the fact that he actually felt the threat of death during that very moment.


    ''But the rage within me had clouded my reasoning..!!'' He punched the wall of the hallway at that thought.


    He could note to an understanding. How could he have lost? Wasn''t he the prideful son of heaven? Wasn''t he the most talented genius of this generation?


    "...I guess not..." He grit his teeth in repressed anger, as he reluctantly came to that answer.


    But at this moment, the profileration of essence within the city finally exploded out.


    The world was temporarily cloaked within a multicolored nket of light, that took him by surprise.


    ...!!!


    He stumbled back and fell on his rear in shock.


    As within this nket of light, Lanzelet felt himself enter a unique space of emptiness. He saw the various essence converge, and sh at insane velocity, as their numbers increased.


    The more they umted, the faster their velocity, and the higher the chances of collision would take ce. And as collision took ce, destruction soon followed. Complete, and utter destruction of the profilerated essence.


    ...!!!


    And that, was what attracted Lanzelet''s attention through it all. The potency of destruction of essence within this multicolored nket of light was crying out to him.


    And with his genius, he was able to briefly, oh so briefly, nce at the meaning of nothingness, and at thew of destruction.


    And all that, was exerted physically as an overall powerful, rare grade unique ability.


    "Th¨CThis is... This is..!!" Everything around him slowly broke down apart, as he subconsciously used the ability just after acquiring it.


    The ability spread out crimson ck waves of rage-full aura, that wiped out the proliferating essence around him.


    Not only that, the appliances and decorations around him, slowly disintegrated into dust, after slowly losing their color first.


    ...!!!


    A certain range around him... was reduced to nothing but an illustration of what destruction could bring. Of what he could now achieve!!


    "Per¨CPerhaps God did not give up on me..?! Is this a sign? Is this a sign that I''m still the most talented genius of this generation?!" He marveled at the power of his new ability, excitement written all over his face.


    The power he felt within his hands the moment he subconsciously activated the skill, was... divine.


    It was a never before felt feeling. As if, as if he had the power to destroy everything and anything within his path.


    It was exhrating!!


    "I need to verify this, and now!!" He thought, rushing towards the training grounds of this new estate that he now calls home.


    Meanwhile, at the same time as he left, an unexpected entrant appeared.


    "Yo¨CYoung master..?! What... What could have happened... here..?" A maid appeared from the other side of the passage, and just so happened to see Lanzelet''s back as he turned left at the other end.


    But then, she was left antsy and disquieted, when she saw the bizarre destruction that the passage was left in.


    Half disintegrated decor, destroyed walls that revealed the internal foundation, cracked up wooden floor... everything was too strange and bizarre for the young maid''s mind.


    "Ma¨CMaster..!!" She dropped the feather dust she held in her hands, picked up her dress and bolted towards the direction that Lanzelet took. ''What happened to the young master?!'' She thought to herself.


    She was in panic.


    She rushed towards the training ground, which was the first ce people would be presented to, whilst passing through the open passage on the left.


    And there, she came to a sudden halt as she was presented with yet another shocking spectacle beyond herprehension.


    One that had her widening her eyes in a daze.


    She saw, to her shock, Lanzelet cutting down a training post using a unique type of footwork. A footwork that took him off the ground, and into the air like a swan, and back to the ground like a bolt of lightning!!


    ...!!!


    And as his sword tore through the air along its descent, it fluently cut through the training guard post in half, separating it into two identical inverse copies of itself.


    "My God..!!" The maid hurriedly covered her mouth, as an even greater shock came after.


    She saw the two halves of the training guard post slowly fall down. Yet before they could even touch the ground, they had already disintegrated into ash gray dust, which scattered in the air, along the gentle morning breeze.


    "Hm? Oh, Vivien, it''s just you." Lanzelet finally realized the appearance of the maid, from thest exim she made at his ''still-in-progress'' sword technique that he just had an epiphany in.


    "...huh? Vivien? I am your escort and teacher, young master Lanzelet. But that''s not important, what sword technique was that? It''s too ethereal, and too... destructive. Who taught you that? For I know it is definitely not me." The maid called Vivien said.


    His words brought her out of her state of shock, and she immediately frowned at him as she sternly interrogated. Her voice was melodic, but her tone low, giving it a devilish tinge to it.


    "Don''t worry too much, Vivien. This is a sword technique I just thought about, when I felt enlightened by this new power." Lanzelet said, looking at his hands that had reddish ck aura drifting within.


    "..."


    Vivien also nced at his hands, and felt slightly repulsed by the power held within. She didn''t understand why, but she felt the power within, to be against her for some reason.


    And never before, had she felt like this. Especially if the feeling came from the boy that she raised since childhood, until adulthood. The boy that she taught everything that he knew.


    ''What is this... feeling?'' She thought to herself, wary and ufortable. She was leery of what was toe from this small ''epiphany'' of his. Was it a blessing? Or perhaps a curse?


    "Ah? Vivien, you''re a mage, right? Can you release a water ball spell at me right now? There''s something that I want to try." Lanzelet abruptly said, taking on a defensive posture.


    "Huh? What, why would I ever want to¨C" Vivien came out of her thought, and responded to his wild words with a tone of confusion. But Lanzelet disrupted her words with an impatient shout. "Just do it, already!!"


    "...Fine!!" Vivien reluctantly responded in annoyance, raising her hand andmanding the Mana around to gather. ''I''ll teach you a lesson, brat. You don''t just go against your elders just because you got stronger!!'' She thought.


    She summoned a water ball spell, that shot forth at frightening speed and ferocity. It was something that a normal person would not easily take lying down.


    "Hmph!!" But Lanzelet was not a normal boy, especially so now that he obtained terrifying prowess from the Heavens.


    He snorted at the iing water ball, and sent forth a sword wave of reddish ck aura, that swiftly cut through the water ball in half, and continued forward towards Vivien''s direction.


    "Ah..? Ah. My God..!!" And she hurriedly dodged to avoid the disastrous attack, that swept past her and struck the wall, reducing it to nothing.


    But ehat was not more dangerous, was that; ''That sword wave... it, it...'' She thought in fear, looking back at Lanzelet with fear.


    Fear hidden within her shock.

 Chapter 152 Domain Fusion VII

    <h4>Chapter 152 Domain Fusion VII</h4>


    At the same time, when Lanzelet had his sudden epiphany and rise in power, other people also had their own breakthroughs and ascension respective to their specialties.


    Some of them, were the people that Damien had bought as ves days back, whom now, had the status of schrs in practice, apprentice schrs to be precise.


    Whilst reciting the magic mantras, and knowledge that Damien and Juliette bestowed upon them, they began having epiphanies one after another.


    And considering the value of Juliette''s teachings, that stem from the powerful pixie race, and Damien''s teaching thate from his vast experience, their epiphanies were the greatest out of everyone.


    So much so that, even Fiona''s epiphany would notpare. For they saw the world, for what it was, and at the same time, saw it as something vastly beyond their mere understanding.


    Some saw the world as golden strings of light, as the immutable flow of fate. Some saw it as seas of multicolored light, as the ever changing rivers of destiny.


    Some saw it as nothing but endless darkness on one side, and endless light on the other side. As the distinction between two types of powers, chaos, and order.


    And some... just saw it at something beyond anything they have ever seen, as beauty itself. They each saw the world, the way they understood the teachings of their masters.


    But none could properlyprehend what they were looking at. None, but one young man around his early twenties.


    "Is this... the truth..?" He thought, as his tinum blonde hair danced along the air, his sapphire blue eyes carrying a unique glow of beauty, of elegance within.


    As right now, at this very instance, he found himself standing within a space of nothingness, where endless darkness contaminated every other concept there was.


    Yet under his eyes, he saw multiple converges of colors making out the world. There were blues, reds, oranges, and other colors that made up his fellow apprentice schrs around him.


    The world was in various colors.


    They were the particles making up their being, and each color, represented the element and emotion associated with that person. Their personality, if you will.


    And the convergence of colors, was the fast moving particles making up each individual. A reaction that they had, which made each person different.


    Some people might have the same colors making up their beings, identical twins for example, but the rate at which the particles converge, result in a major difference, thus creating individual personalities.


    ''Is this really how the world''s looks like, from a different perspective..?'' The young man thought to himself, constantly marveling at everything else around him.


    There were walls, chairs, tables, for example. There were also made up of colors as well, most being a single color, or two to three at most.


    But unlike the people, the particles remained static, and frozen in ce. There would only move, when the object itself moves. Which piqued the young man''s thoughts, ''Is that only because the person moving it, has collected kic energy that is transfered to the object upon contact?'' He deduced.


    The particles moving within the person, gather collective kic energy, that is equivalent to one''s strength. And once the person makes contact with something, the collective kic energy is transfered to the particles of the object.


    If the collective energy epasses all the particles of that object, then it will trigger it to move, thus allowing the person the ability to freely move the object.


    But the more the object is moved, the less the collective kic energy is left within, and thus leading to the person''s lowered rate of particle movement, ''Then the person gets tired? Is that it?'' The young man marveled in realization.


    He also realized that this had to do with one''s strength. If the object has denser particles, the collective energy will not be able to bepletely transfered, hence why some people fail to lift heavier objects.


    But the more powerful a person, the faster the collision speed between their particles, hence a higher rate of breaking through denser particles. Thus allowing them to be able to lift heavier objects easily.


    "This... is too marvelous..!!" The young man thought, a thrilling sensation traveling through his spine. Goosebumps, or chills if you will. "What''s marvelous, Evans?" A young maid besides him inquired.


    She was one of the staff responsible of catering to the apprentice schr''s demands. Their pay was quite high, as they were errand boys and girls of the apprentice schrs, the previously acknowledged ves.


    "Hm? Ah, no. It''s nothing, Sasha. I just had a thrilling experience right now." Evans turned to the young maid called Sasha, and responded to her inquiry with a smile of excitement.


    The experience he was in a moment ago, shattering into mirror fragments.


    The world was back to what it used to be, but now, he had a unique ability that could allow him ess to that type of vision anytime he wishes.


    "Oh, okay then. Call me when you need me." Sasha said, turning around to leave. Her golden blonde wavy curls dancing in the air as she left.


    Evans briefly nced at her departing figure, and took out his notes to note down his discovery. At the same time, a whisper left his mouth the moment she was out of the room. "Enjoy yourself too, dear."


    ~~~~~


    Meanwhile, back at the city lord''s estate, within the training ground, Adonis also had his own fortuitous encounter thanks to the domain fusion process.


    With the ever increasing fire particles within the air, a lot of people began having higher concentrations of fire reactive particles within them, or so, Evans would deduce.


    Their Affinity with fire was slowly increasing, while to others, who already a small Affinity to fire, they experienced great boons with their affinities. And one of them, was perhaps Adonis.


    "Oh..? What''s this?" The young man thought, as in his eyes, he could see waves of orange red aura drifting within the air. And a small portion of it would be attracted to his being, delving into his skin ever so subtly.


    "It''s fire natural particles. There are ever present within the atmosphere, as they make up the world. Like puzzle pieces. They can increase one''s Affinity to fire." Juliette responded, as she saw what he also saw, yet at a greater frequency than him.


    For right above them, she could see oceanic waves of orange red aura in the skies, one so dense, it seemed infinitely close to manifesting as a sea of mes.


    "Affinity..?" Adonis asked back in confusion. "It simply means that you will have a greater Affinity with Fire, your highness. Anything rted to fire, will feel inexplicably close to you. And also more powerful, if exerted out by you."


    Juliette exined, casually summoning a ball of mes within her hands, and flickering it towards the center of the training ground.


    BOOOM!!!


    The fire ball struck the ground, and set off into a powerful, ground shaking, explosion. The sudden great force catching everyone off guard, and leaving them shocked.


    "..."


    "..."


    "As you can see, that is clearly just a first circle spell, fireball. But with a higher Affinity, it can deal far greater damage than one intends." She added, waving her hand and creating a small breeze that swept away the small cloud of dust.


    Her subtly action then revealed a big crater, that was ten meters wide, and almost three meters deep.


    And this only brought out more shock to the spectators, especially those from Romania, as they were also mage-types.


    With great fire Affinity as well, and yet, they felt like they were not even close to achieving this level of power with just a fireball spell alone.


    After all, Juliette did not rely on her Sage level prowess, that was the greatest attainment of magic below godhood.


    ''What the..? What''s with that damage output?! How high is her intelligence?'' Harold thought in stupor, and Kiara followed. ''First circle spell? There''s ranks to spells? And what of the second circle or third circle spells?!'' She eximed.


    ''Well... this is interesting.'' Lloyd thought to himself, too tired to think anything else. Haven''t they had enough of surprising him today?


    "But don''t worry, it''s a good thing, your highness." Juliette added, snapping her finger, and refilling the created crater with earth magic. "It just means that you''ve gotten stronger!!" And gave a thumbs up to Adonis.


    "I¨CIt does..? Th¨CThank you." Adonis responded with a stutter, still shocked at the given information, and the level of control that Juliette had over the natural elements. ''She''s too amazing..!!'' He thought.


    "Honestly, it''s just a slight Affinity to fire, but you can probably work on that. Fiona will help you." Juliette added, then looking at the process of Fusion that was about toe to an end, she added, "It''sing to an end. The fusion is almost over."


    "Yeah. So what now?" Sixth asked, leaning back on the pir with his arms folded before his chest. "Can I leave if we are done?" He added a question after attracting everyone''s attention.


    "Ah, I''m not sure. Maybe we should wait for Damien." Juliette responded, and Adonis strongly nodded to those words.


    After all, he had no authority to suggest anything to this unrestrained senior.


    "...Fine." Sixth clicked his tongue in annoyance as he relented to Juliette''s words.


    Not that he feared Damien, but he feared the authority Damien had, on the seniors of the Gray House. It was terrifying.


    In essence, he was scared of the "Damien Die Hards" within the team, an example being the current second ranked Anna. ''That woman is a devil in a human skin.'' He thought with a slight shiver up his spine.


    Plus, as an older sister to him too, due to being older, made it all the more difficult for him to retaliate against her.

 Chapter 153 Domain Rulership

    <h4>Chapter 153 Domain Rulership</h4>


    The fusion process of the domains finally came to an end, and both newly established regions of the domain prospered in one way, or another.


    Romania progressing forward as a nation.


    Their rank amongst the twelve nations of humanity was already within the top six, but with this, they are bound to increase greatly in rank and authority.


    Meanwhile, the city of Avarice already had a head start in its ascendence of power, thanks to Damien and Juliette''s presence. But now, its rising was going to be unstoppable!!


    The pace at which humanity was progressing at, although subtly, and although at minor regions, was quite fast and unpredictable.


    Yet the rising threats against them were always a step ahead. The wolf pack that had been gathering all the wolf forces of this whole cardinal direction, were getting stronger by the minute.


    The evolution of the world to a stage three Realm, which will signify the establishment of a ne of Existence, was inching closer, ever so slowly. And just that small evolution alone, would set the world on a higher tform than the residents of the world could fathom.


    Both in power, and authority.


    Fortunately, all that was still in the near future.


    For now, Damien and Juliette had just bestowed upon Fiona and Adonis the authority to reign over their respective domains, as rising kings!!


    "...But, it seems like you don''t have much control and authority, despite all that." Juliette said, as they both went through the pros of gaining authority over a medium sized city like Avarice. "We¨CWell, there are at least some gains to it, right?" Adonis suggested.


    From going through what he could do with his authority, there are three effects that he realized he could do. And though they added nothing much to his battle power, they were still a necessity to any ruler.


    The first was the ability to have ess over the entirety of Avarice''s range of influence, and map it out into a three dimensional hologram. Though the hologram required vast amounts of Mana to keep active.


    "The best part is that, I have the definition of every natural feature, and man made feature within. Like the fertility of the soil, the steadiness of buildings, the conditions of products and resources. I can also gain basic information of my citizens, and anyone within range." Adonis added in excitement.


    The morend he conquers, the higher his range of influence, and the closer he would be to godliness.


    After all, ruling over Avarice, made him nigh-omniscient towards everything urring within the city.


    Imagine if he ruled over the entire world. And that was not all, as with this, he would be able to locate rare resource points of thend he governs.


    This effect was just godly. He further exined.


    He was telling this to Juliette, who felt like the ability was previously useless. After all, her thoughts were not those of a king or a ruler, but those of a young girl, and a newly risen mage. "Is that so?" She marveled at his words.


    That being the case, she was smart and open minded, and realized how amazing the ability was for someone like Adonis. ''It''s literally an ideal ability for any rising king.'' She thought to herself.


    "Yes. This ability is a godsend to me, or any aspiring king out there,dy Juliette." He responded with a smile to her inquiry, and Juliette nodded in understanding, showing excitement for him.


    The second ability, was to empower his people, depending on the overall situation of his city. The higher the city conditions, the happier the people, and the more stable his reign, meant a greater boost to his people''s overall prowess.


    The minimum boost was 300%, and it could go as high as 800%, as a Tier 3 Domain, let alone at higher ranks. This ability was amazing, and even Juliette understood that without any need of convincing.


    "With this ability, you can increase the strength of your people greatly. Then does that mean, an army of ten thousand, could defeat an army of thirty thousand or eighty thousand men?" She thought out loud to herself.


    And her logic wasn''t wed. Under normal circumstances, an army of ten thousand, against another army of ten thousand, would result in a stalement.


    Only luck, strategy and a better war formation, could change the tides.


    Yet if one army amongst the two, had their strength increased by three times, it means that a single warrier of theirs, would be capable of taking down three warriors from the other side. A simple concept.


    And even if the other side had a better strategy and battle formation, there was still a high chance they would lose against pure strength.


    Well, a high chance, to be precise.


    "Yes, strategy and battle formations are still a necessity in war, regardless of how powerful you are." Adonis agreed with her thought process.


    But this ability also shined in other areas. For example, having the strength of construction workers or farmers increased by three times, would increase their work efficiency by three times as well.


    Unfortunately, the cost was insanely high. Using it on one person would cost him a thousand units of Mana per second. Then imagine using it on fifty million residents? For hours on end?


    The boy couldn''t shoulder such costs.


    And yes, this effect basically stretched towards anyone that was legally registered as a citizen of Avarice. Including children and the elderly ones, the disabled or the incapable.


    Adonis subconsciously smiled thinking of the near future, and moved on to thest ability that he received.


    And this ability, was the one that Adonis loved the most out of all abilities.


    For, it allowed him the ability to design a ss that will be born under him, with him also obtaining one, yet his ss being a single level above those of the others.


    In other words, the created ss will be an ordinary ss, let''s say a "Knight" ss for example. Yet if he were to obtain it, as the regional master, he will obtain a unique "Knight" ss instead.


    It was just amazing.


    "Now that, is an amazing effect." Harold interjected, nodding in thought.


    The created ss, depends on the imagination level of the Creator, true. ''Yet no matter how exaggerated its made out to be, it''ll be an ordinary ss at best.'' He sighed to himself.


    The effect only applied to ordinary sses, thus only Adonis'' ss would be unique grade. And though that was great, it did not have enough attractive force towards the popce.


    ''Either than the fact that they would be working for the royal prince of this Stronghold. Well, that alone is better than bing an adventurer or a militant.'' He thought, with a sigh of disappointment.


    "Indeed it is... but luckily, sir Damien had given us Legendary ss Inheritance beforehand." Adonis agreed with Harold''s words, and then unknowingly responded to his thoughts at the same time with a bright smile.


    "Huh? Wait, what? Huh?" And the man was left shocked by those words.


    A Legendary what? Excuse me, but where did Damien obtain that, when they fought hard to obtain their own legendary sses.


    "Hm? A Legendary ss Inheritance. I believe it was called "Knights of Avalon", if I''m not mistaken." Adonis responded, then establishing the inheritance as his created ss after taking it out of his storage pouch.


    [ ... ]


    [ ...Sir, are you sure you would like to bestow the people with the Legendary ss Inheritance, "Knights of Avalon" as your prescribed ss? ]


    And the divine will chose to affirm with him, before going forward.


    The ss Inheritance was far above its level, and just absorbing one, would increases it''s evolution beyond Tier 4, and closer to bing a unique Tier 5 Domain.


    This was a godsend opportunity!!


    But that was not all. If Adonis did so, and obtained the ss as well, he would obtain a Lesser Divine version of the Knight of Avalon ss.


    Which was even more amazing!!


    This would allow it to evolve to Tier 5, and possible beyond it, moving closer to bing a unique Tier 6 Domain as well. After all, anything beyond Legendary, was possibly a power beyond Reality itself.


    An source of power!!


    "Yes, please. I''d like to use this Inheritance to create a ss of my choice. It is possible, right, great will?" Adonis affirmed and confirmed at the same time, in which the divine will immediately responded.


    [ It is, regional lord Adonis. Please wait a moment, as the ss Inheritance prescription is underway. The process will take a while, there is no need to wait, regional lord ]


    [ But as you are currently not powerful enough, there will be slots that you require to fill in per League. Currently, you can only have ten slots as you''re are in the Second League (Master Profession). Is that okay with you, lord Adonis? ]


    The divine will said, the contents of the words slightly surprising Adonis. ''Ah, so it seems I cannot create an army of Legendary ss holders... But it''s fine. Having ten Legendary ss holders should be fine for now. And it seems they''ll double the stronger I be.'' Adonis thought in self-consolement.


    "It''s okay. Let it be as such. We will still continue." He subtly nodded at the words, albeit he was partially disappointed.


    [ Yes, lord Adonis. As you wish ]

 Chapter 154 Shares

    <h4>Chapter 154 Shares</h4>


    [ Yes, lord Adonis. As you wish ]


    The divine will responded, holding back the excitement bubbling up within it.


    Even as a godly entity, it could not help but be excited at the freely given opportunity to grow even stronger than it already was. It couldn''t!!


    "Well, while we are waiting for that, as well as for Damien to return, allow me to give you a little heads up, your highness." Juliette abruptly said, as she was also able to view the notifications from the divine will.


    "A heads up?" Adonis questioned back in surprise, his focus moving away from the ss Inheritance prescription.


    Sixth, Ninth, Harold, Lloyd and even Kiara were also interested.


    Their interests were piqued, and their ears spread out wide open. Anything rted to the Silver couple, was always spicy information.


    That was for sure.


    "Yup. Heads up... When the Silver Association ispletely built, we will give you and Fiona 40% rights to it. Isn''t that amazing." She responded as such, with a blooming smile.


    "What?!" And Adonis was left shocked. Not only him, even Harold and his fellow peers were shocked beyond belief.


    40%? Did she just say 40% rights?! How could that be?!


    They had seen the building ns of the Silver Association, and what effect it would have on humanity as a whole. Having just 1% of it would be a godsend, let alone 20% each. That was a free ie of money!!


    They all thought. Meanwhile, Sixth and Ninth cared less about that.


    They already had enough money on them, and weren''t in desperate need of any. Plus, Damien''s money, was as good as their money as well.


    "Well, it''s not necessary like that." But then abruptly, out of the blue, Damien''s voice descended from above, as he soon also descended with Fiona within his embrace. "The 40% is also shared amongst two others for now." He added.


    He then gently led Fiona down, and stood besides Juliette. "And in the near future, when all twelve kings are collected, it will be shared amongst all fourteen of you. Hence enjoy the 10% while it stillsts." He concluded, dousing out the rising ambition of some.


    Adonis being disappointed for the third time today morning.


    "..."


    Fiona nced at her uncle, who sighed in disappointment, again, from the sidelines. He did not even try to hide it away, and just let it show. ''Uncle... you''re embarrassing me.'' She thought in defeat.


    "But... 10% is still enough for now." Adonis nodded, already calcting how much he would make even when it was shared amongst fourteen individuals. ''Still, shares of 2,86% will still be enough, right?'' He once more consoled himself.


    "Of course, that being the case, you''re are also obliged to pay 10% of the overall cost of the Association''s buildings from here on out. Until the shares decrease." Damien added, dropping a massive bomb shell that had everyone freezing in shock.


    They had to pay... 10% the cost?


    What?


    Did you know?


    Just the overall cost of thising Institution only, was way above a million gold coins in value. A million gold coins to build just a small town sized institution.


    And a single gold coin was equivalent to a hundred silver coins, which equated to a thousand bronze coins. And ten bronze were equivalent to a single US dor. Thus this project cost ten billion US dors to create.


    And they had to pay 10% of all of that? Wasn''t that still a hundred thousand gold coins at minimum? Could they afford it?!


    "I... I should have expected that. I''m sorry for getting overly excited." Adonis immediately relented his thoughts, and now thought of how to cover the cost of his shares.


    Consolement? He gave up at this point.


    "...Yes, it''s our fault for expecting yet another free gift from you guys." Fiona also lowered her head in embarrassment. A hundred thousand gold was all that they had though!!


    And this one Institution was just one out of twelve others to be built. And whose to say that, the Silver Association will not choose to sponsor another project at the same time?


    Their pockets were in for a run for their money.


    And they, were in for a tough life up ahead. ''I guess... my niece is suffering enough. I can''t target her. But my brother is suffering as well. Ahhh... Such a bothersome life, such poor family members.'' Harold thought in more disappointment.


    More, apparent disappointment that he did not hide away from the others, including Fiona, resurfaced on his face. ''Uncle... please, at least show some minimum courtesy.'' She sighed once more in defeat.


    Life...


    ~~~~~


    Time trickled by, and the day went by. Soon, it was evening of the next day.


    Adonis sent out invitations to all the nobles of Avarice, where they would attend a banquet theing weekend to wee him as the new city lord of Avarice.


    The suggestion was from Fiona, as she believed it would be to his benefit if he were to meet those in power, and begin making connections as soon as possible. And Adonis had to agree with her.


    The Lanzelet scandal showed them that their appearance here was not at all jovial epted, and weed by everyone.


    There would be those that were against him. And they would poison those who were neutral and unaware of the situation, thus getting everyone against him.


    ''Ruling a city with both internal and external enemies is not to my liking.'' Adonis thought, sighing as he leaned back on his chair, looking up at the golden moon through the window.


    ''Calm. And pretty... I think I''ve fallen in love with the moon.'' He subconsciously thought to himself, with a subtle smile on his angelic face.


    He was just about done from dealing with all the replies and responses from the sent out invitations.


    And reading each letter was a chore in and of itself, anding to dislike 80% of them was more so.


    It was tiresome.


    Thus he deserved the rest.


    He sighed, looking up at the bookshelves to his left.


    "..."


    He was within the study room, and wore rtively loose clothes to better breathe, and catch a break.


    Plus, no one would uncharacteristically barge in on him, at this time of the night, hence why¨C


    "Adonis, I brought you some midnight snacks." Fiona knocked on the door, reporting just as she opened it and gracefully entered, all smiles and jovial as always.


    Quite a contradiction to his now shocked, but still lethargic appearance. But that was not the focus of the matter right now. Not at all.


    "..."


    Adonis froze, and could not help but look up at her with an expression of shock and stupor, cursing his luck a million times. ''By the gods'' grace, why...''


    His hair was messy, his shirt was barely buttoned up, his table a mess as well, his posture was a bit toonguid.


    Embarrassing!!


    That was what it all spelled out!!


    "Oh?" Fiona also realized the condition he was in, and froze at the door.


    She then quickly turned around and instructed the maid she had brought with her. "Th¨CThank you, you can give this to me now. Oh, and may you please boil us some water?" She added.


    "Yes, mydy." The elderly maid paused, then responded, and handed the small tray of desserts to her, before lowering her head, as she turned to leave. "Thank you."


    Fiona thanked her, then entered back into the study, and closed the door.


    And by now, Adonis had tried to fix himself up to at least be presentable, and not seem too wild and carefree.


    "I didn''t expect to see you in such a mess, lord Adonis." She jovially said,ying down the tray on the table, that was a bit presentable now. "My apologies for barging in unannounced." She added with a bitter smile.


    She just now realized how much work he was in today. It has not been long since he took over this city, and had a lot on his agenda.


    She also kind of felt sorry for him.


    "No, no. It''s fine, my apologies forcking manners." Adonis forced out a smile as he responded, still dying inside due to embarrassment.


    He thought that separating from his older siblings, would reduce the amount of times he was embarrassed and humiliated, but perhaps that was only wishful thinking.


    "Fufu~ This is your castle, why are you apologizing?" Fiona chuckled at his desperate attempts, finding him quite adorable. "You look adorable trying to hide away your embarrassment." She bluntly added.


    "..."


    And Adonis found himself speechless. At her bluntness, and also at her beautiful smile.


    A smile that made him subconsciously think of a vibrant sun,pared the moon he just saw. ''Pretty...'' He thought.


    He had nothing to say. There was nothing to say to that. And thus, he could only lower his head in silence, and kill himself mentally.


    And seeing him as such, Fiona couldn''t help but subconsciously smile brighter. Teasing Adonis was a recently attained hobby of hers that she never knew she had.


    A hidden talent, perhaps?


    Knock~ Knock~


    "Mydy, your highness, greetings. I''ve brought your water."

 Chapter 155 A Little Teasing~

    <h4>Chapter 155 A Little Teasing~</h4>


    "Mydy, your highness, greetings. I''ve brought your water." A maid said from outside the study, prompting Fiona to respond once more.


    And upon opening the door, she was surprised to see that it was a rtively young maid that brought the water, and not the elderly maid from before. "Thank you." She said, taking the tray from the maid.


    "It is my pleasure, mydy." The maid bowed once more, and turned around to leave.


    Fiona closed the door, and returned back to the table.


    Upon turning, she was quick to catch Adonis staring back at her. And realizing his actions, the young prince hurriedly turned his head away.


    ''God, what am I doing?!'' He thought with a sigh, avoiding eye contact as best as he could from Fiona.


    ''My God, he''s such a cutie.'' She thought, sitting down and preparing a set of tea and cake for the both of them.


    She now understood why Damien and her older brother loved teasing her. "Your highness~" She gently called out, her tone soft, and a bit melodic to the ears.


    "Ye¨CYes..?" Adonis responded, taking the cup of tea and the cake she presented to him. He felt awfully embarrassed and awkward today.


    More than ever, at that.


    "Let us talk about theing banquet, and how we want things to flow in our direction." She said, taking on a stern tone. Yet hints of joy were still apparent within her voice.


    "The banquet? Oh, so that''s why miss Fiona paid me a visit thiste at night?" Adonis was slightly surprised, as he was not sure why she was here, and also teasing him.


    This brought out a sigh of relief out of him.


    Unfortunately, he said that out loud.


    "Hm? Oh my, did young lord Adonis, expect something more spicy from me?" And Fiona took the opportunity to strike while the iron was still hot, teasing him in joy.


    Now that she thought about it, her visit was a bit too sudden. Especially since it was past eleven p.m, and close to midnight. Such realization, had her feeling embarrassed as well.


    ...!!!


    Adonis realized his mistake, and he hurriedly lowered his head in humiliation. His cheeks were painted red, and his thoughts were chaotic. ''I SAID THAT OUT LOUD?!'' He dreaded his situation.


    Meanwhile, Fiona was also partially embarrassed. Her cheeks were flushed red, as the topic itself was way out of her mind.


    Talking about things like this with a boy was a first for her. Especially so, when the boy wasn''t that far apart to her. In both age and status.


    The fact that they could actually entangle right now, and no one would judge them, was too much for a virgin maiden such as herself.


    It ignited a forbidden passion of fire within her.


    ...!!!


    Her heart raced, and her cheeks were flushed redder than before. But seeing Adonis'' situation, made her smile in triumph despite her embarrassment.


    "..."


    Thus, the night went on, awkwardly, and at some point, the two ended up talking about the real matters at hand. Right after they snacked in silence, and cleared out each other''s name.


    Adonis had no such thoughts about her visit, but Fiona bringing it out had him totally embarrassed. For himself, and also for her.


    Fiona also mentioned how she understood, and apologized about her behavior.


    But with the smile on her face, Adonis doubted she was truly apologetic about everything. Yet he did not mind. He was more than used to having such women around him.


    And the fact that she promised to spend theing nights with him everyday, helping with the work overload, made him forget about tonight''s ordeal.


    ''I wont bother asking why at this time, but with her help, I''ll hopefully sleep early. After all, my morning routine is a mini hellish adventure.'' He thought, headed to his room after they snacked.


    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


    At the same time as Adonis went to bed, Damien sat atop the roof of their new home, looking up at the multitude of stars above him, bearing their glory down to him.


    With the world bing a Realm, whose to say the stars that were usually just mega-powerful extraterrestrial constructs, evolved into worlds of their own?


    If a Realm was beyond Reality, then whose to say otherwise?


    Damien was not one to doubt. The world he was previously at, had countless Realities as stars, and the sun as something even more terrifying than Reality.


    "...I wonder how far will I take us to reach that stage with this given opportunity." He wondered to himself, before clearing out his thoughts.


    The past days, they returned, and continued as usual. Teaching the schrs knowledge and magic, while teaching the maids and butlers assassination techniques.


    And this was mainly for protection sake.


    Some were just taughtbat arts, and some defense arts. But it mattered not, as long as they were capable of defending themselves when the situation required it.


    And when one took into consideration the high grade food they ate everyday, their attainments were faster than the average people.


    The resources Damien brought from the Khloris Troll n, was divided amongst the Gray family, the Gray House, and them, the Silver household.


    Most were nted within a field behind the mansion, catered to by the butlers who knew how to do farm work. And with Damien''s guidance, catering to high grade resources wasn''t hard.


    Yet that being the case, some resources were not edible for weaker individuals. The Rapom fruits were an example, as they were poisonous to mortals.


    And some resources generally took years to care for. ''Well, that''s easily solved through time magic. Unfortunately, Juliette has only begun delving in both space and time magic.'' Damien thought to himself.


    He had attempted to create a few time spells he knew off, but ended up making a mistake. He almost destroyed the resources he used, by causing them to age backwards instead.


    His foundation of magic in this lifetime was poor. And even with his experience, he could only cast first and second spells at best. Third if he truly tried.


    As for fouth circle spells? That was a different story altogether. And space magic and time magic were divine categorized magic. Unique magic to be precise.


    "Its fine, either way." He said, standing up on the roof. "In a few weeks, she will have that solved. Until then, let''s see what Destiny has in store for me today." He waved his hand, and conversed with Destiny.


    Their future was still vibrant. There was no need to mentally twinkle with Destiny at the moment.


    Plus, he was afraid of gaining the attention of the gods. Especially so, a certain dragon goddess born out of Destiny itself.


    "I wonder... if your Destiny will be the same even in this lifetime." He subconsciously thought out loud, "For who knew that, the daughter of Destiny, and the one with the highest attainments of Destiny, would be incapable of deciphering her own Destiny."


    The night went by, and soon enough, the weekend came by, the banquet was held, and both Adonis and Fiona perfectly took care of everything. Damien and Juliette were also invited.


    Connections were formed, and introductions were made. Friends were born, and enemies arose. But ultimately, it was a peaceful encounter.


    Adonis even went as far as introducing the Silver Project, and the founders of the project itself, the Silver family, and their achievements in magic andbat arts.


    And though most were skeptical, and others were curious, nobody chose to fight with them, as the couple was quite rich. After all, Adonis introduced them as his supporters.


    Plus, the high grade delicacies that they were having, which increased Mana, stats or even heal slight injuries and fatigue, were also said toe from them.


    This of course attracted many eyes from the nobles, as a lot of people knew the value of such resources.


    Yet Damien and Juliette did nothing to stop it. Nor did Adonis. They in fact, pretended as if everything was okay.


    The banquet was then over after a couple of hours, and people retreated back to their households, where they began their ns and schemes.


    Meanwhile, within the lounge of the castle of Avarice, Adonis could not help but slightly frown. "Are you sure this is okay, Lord Damien? Can your people handle it?" He inquired.


    Even Fiona besides him was also worried, as she knew the hearts of human kind. There would not be happy with the sess of theirpetitors.


    "It''s okay. Let theme. We will just uproot them faster this way." Damien brushed the matter off as he spoke, leaning back on the sofa he sat on.


    "..."


    "..."


    Adonis and Fiona could only exchange gazes, and remain silent. They believed in Damien and Juliette''s strength, but a part of them still worried for their situation.


    But Damien and Juliette remained unbothered still, only bidding farewell and going back home together. They werepletely worry-less.


    And there were three reasons why they were not worried. The first was that, Juliette ced out inscriptions, formations and arrays around the Silver estate, which warded off outsiders.


    While Damien set out runes and sigils atop them. All five of theseyered together, created quite a paradiscal environment for their people.

 Chapter 156 Project Silver I

    <h4>Chapter 156 Project Silver I</h4>


    The inscriptions sealed off the Mana of the trespassers. The formation strengthened the capabilities of the silver employees. The array formed a magic barrier over the estate, that nullified magic below Juliette''s highest circle.


    The runes disrupted the skills and spells of the trespassers below Unique grade, or divine category. And the sigils did the opposite for the silver employees, boosting their capabilities greatly.


    With this much, even the apprentice butlers and maids could easily take out an adept assassin. And possibly even an advanced assassin sent out as well.


    Plus, there was also Sixth or Ninth, who would take shifts to visiting and guarding the Silver household per week.


    With theirbat prowess, not even grand masters could barge in. Hell, for Sixth, Damien doubted whether even an epic assassin could escape from him, given time.


    "Senior Sixth is strong, and just requires guidance and time. In a couple of weeks, he could be an epic swordsman. If not a sword legend." Damien said, and Juliette nodded in understanding.


    Thus, the night went by, and soon, it was the next day.


    And by that time, Damien prepared himself.


    After all, he had a lot of things to take care of, that were potentially more threatening.


    Preparing for the third stage of the Realm. Going against the Destiny Devourer. Having to take care of the growing threat of the wolves. Appointing the third King Candidate. There was a lot to think off.


    "Already leaving?" Juliette inquired, when she saw Damien about to take off from the ground. But hearing her voice, he paused and nodded. "Yeah. I have to supervise the starting process."


    "I see. In that case, good luck. I''ll also work harder than before." She said, moving closer to him and boldly giving him a peck on the cheek.


    But as she was shorter, she had to climb up her toes to reach his cheeks, which was adorable to the spectactors. ''But she could just have floated up.'' Damien thought to himself.


    But the act itself was heart warming, under normal circumstances. Not for him though. "Yeah, I''ll also work harder myself." He nodded at her words. Then he turned around to leave, but paused a momentter.


    "..."


    He sighed, turned around, and gave the expectantly waiting Juliette a light peck on her forehead. "I''ll be back." And left.


    "Okay. Byeeee~" She waved him off in joy, a smile of triumph on her face. ''You can''t act tough around me, Damien. Hmph.'' She thought, content with herself.


    Honestly, she was happy he still had his emotions with him, despite his past life ego still within him. Which was beyond emotion, morals and reason.


    And even if she doubted what he had for her was love, she knew it was not far from it.


    At most, it wasn''t against her, and her own love for him. ''Maybe it will in the future, but for now, it''s you and me, Damien. Just us two.'' She went back into the mansion, and continued her studies.


    She was close to deciphering time magic, and had to enter in seclusion. Perhaps, maybe for a week or two? She wasn''t sure.


    But it shouldn''t take too long.


    Meanwhile, Damien arrived at the construction site, and saw the workers still in the process of moving things around, and clearing out the sight for the buildings.


    "Hm? Boss man, you''re here." A rather familiar face greeted him, attracting most eyes on them. "I was wondering when you''ll be arriving. We can start up on the project anytime now." He said.


    Damiennded, and nodded his head. "Alright. Let''s start up on the foundation first. The institution will be built at the center, with towers on each cardinal direction, then the town sorounding it." He said.


    "Huh? Towers? I don''t think any of us here know how to do a foundation of a tower." The man said, a thoughtful expression on his face. ''What kind of tower?'' He thought.


    "It''s alright." Damien responded, rolling up his sleeves all the way above his elbows, then putting on a safety helmet on his head. "I''ll teach it to you. Pass me the drawing board, and the instruments first." He added.


    "Ah? Oh, ah, yes yes. Here it is, sir. Please teach us." The man responded, a bit confused, a bit skeptical. He had never worked with a noble before, and thus was greatly confused.


    But Damien did not seem to find anything strange. He was from a time where gods would not mind working with mortals and ves to build forts against theing invaders.


    Let alone the minor difference between nobles andmoners. Plus, he was not a genuine noble. Okay, maybe he was, but he was never raised as one.


    The Gray family was a bit special with its position, considering that they originated from the Central Stronghold at the center of humanity. But David''s household, raised their child differently.


    "We will be building magic towers. They are a bitplicated. They are not just towers, but are also buildings, and a fort at the same time. And since they should be mobile when needed, their foundation is a bit tooplicated." Damien began his exnation.


    "Which is why, we will have to etch out the ground beneath us, when taking into ount their foundation. But don''t worry, I''ll direct you all, and show you how it''s properly done." He added.


    "..."


    The man remained silent and listened, slightly peeking at the drawing at the same time. He had never seen a nyout like this one.


    More and more men also moved closer to listen to what a noble had to say to them.


    The fact that he was teaching them their own work, had some of them skeptical and angry. But due to his status, they could not fight back.


    And hence were looking forward to him embarrassing himself. And he already was. ''A tower, a building and a fortress in one? What, are you delusional or something?''


    ''Magic towers? Honestly, I''m fine with magicians, but now magic towers? Oh please, grow the fuck up.''


    ''I''m fine with magic towers, but a mobile fortress? Are you even hearing yourself, great sir of know-it-all?''


    ''Ah, I see, I see. I think I''m understanding what you''re trying to say, teacher. It makes so much sense to me now. Hm. Hm.''


    ''Speaking nonsense, but I like the drawing. It''s... It''s... Yeah, I dont know what it is... but it aren''t bad.'' They all thought in disdain.


    Such an idea was unfeasible. Even more so, than seeing people shoot out fireballs, and call down lightning from the skies.


    Or cut down buildings in half with a sword.


    "The towers will be in a unique structure, as it would have multiple floors to it. Let''s say, something along the lines of a ziggurat building. You do know what a ziggurat building looks like, right?" Damien continued, irregardless of the workers and their thought process.


    Yet his words left 90% of the group around him speechless. Well, not only his words, even the buildingyout and basic diagram he draw left them confused.


    "Uhm, I do know whet it is... but it isn''t necessarily included within the civil engineering text books that are freely distributed to us." A worker said amongst the crowd.


    "Yeah. I, for one, don''t know what that is." The familiar face within the group shrugged his shoulders. He was the man that confronted Damien when he first met them.


    "I see... Its all right. I''ll see to that." Damien said, then backed away from the buildingyout he drew. "It looks something like this; a cuboid structure, with more simr, yet smaller structuresyered atop it, creating a tower of sorts." He further exined.


    Meanwhile, the group of workers clustered around his drawnyout, like a group of ducklings scrabbling for bread crumbs.


    Only a select few remained behind, and listened carefully to the words that Damien was saying. The familiar face within the listening group.


    "In simple terms, think of it as ten cubes ced atop each other, rising towards the skies. But the higher we go, the smaller the cube in size. Approximately, 70% in size to the preceding cube before it... Do you get the picture of it?" He inquired at the end.


    "I kinda get the gist of it... I think." The man said. He was known as Bobby, or Bob, for short. He was nothing specialpared to the others.


    Be it in knowledge, or work experience, he was just average. He was mediocre at best. But thanks to his hard work, and intent to learn, he was quite good at all sorts of jobs rted to construction.


    Even if it was basic knowledge of each sector, he was still a lot of help regardless. Hence even now, he was curious about these "mage towers", and willing to learn.


    Even if it was the basics only.


    "Kinda, huh? Well, I''ll get the learning materials for everyone. Time is not much, but it isn''t of the essence. I''ll show you guys more as we go forth." Damien said, his tone still as apathetic as always, yet he never came off as distant.


    Let alone arrogant.

 Chapter 157 Project Silver II

    <h4>Chapter 157 Project Silver II</h4>


    A week went by just like that.


    Damien rxed the pace of the construction progress, as he had to teach them about many subjects to take into consideration at the same time.


    Commoners did not have 100% ess towards all ranks of knowledge. Nor did the nobles. Only royalty or powerful organizations such as the Gray House had droves of all kinds of knowledge.


    Of course, illegal organizations such as the Gray House had their knowledge mainly from theft.


    They stole from other nobles, or royalties. Thus they were at the same level, if not, higher than some royalties.


    That aside, the employees of the worker''s guild not knowing most of what he taught them was understandable.


    So Damien spent most of the week going back and forth from the Gray House, borrowing their books, and using them to help the high ranked employees, whom will help those below them.


    "Hmm... But Dammy, is it okay to easily give away knowledge like this?" Esther inquired, as her son had uncharacteristically paid her a visit on this lovely day.


    "It will be." And Damien, amidst eating breakfast, responded to her inquiry.


    "The reason these books were kept away from the popce in the first ce, was to give nobles and royalty a sense of superiority over plebians. Nothing important." He said, and further exined.


    When both a noble and amoner learned the same subject, one would have 30% knowledge, while the other had 100% knowledge on it.


    Amongst the two, who will most likely be the boss of the other? Exactly, the noble.


    But Damien cared less about that. Such methods wasted talents.


    Plus, with the new knowledge he had in mind, about the world and their new circumstances, humanity''s prior knowledge will be useless.


    In less than a year''s time, what he is showing everyone here, will be nothing butmon ce knowledge for any Jim and Jack.


    "I see..." Esther nodded in understanding as Damien exined.


    At the same time, she wiped off her hands on her apron, as she took a sit before him. "Now tell me Dammy, where''s Julie? Why didn''t you bring her along?"


    She threw an inquiry at him, her face carrying a cheeky grin on it. But Damien acted as if he did not see it, and instead responded to her question. "She''s learning about time and space magic. She will be out soon enough."


    "Hm? Time...? Space...?" Esther, not understanding the terms clearly, repeated the both of them to herself. "I can understand time magic, since it''s simple enough, but what is space magic?"


    Does it increase or decrease space?


    She wondered, and Damien could easily read through her thoughts as the current her, was just a simple wife-sh-mother. Not a bona-fide killer.


    "Something along those lines." He responded as such, not exining himself any further. He then stood up to leave. "Thanks for the breakfast, mom."


    He said, turning to leave. But Esther cupped her slightly chubby cheeks into both hands, as a beautiful smile rested on her lips. "Hmm... it''s rare for you to call me that."


    "...Enjoy it while it stillsts then." Damien said, leaving the house and closing the door behind him.


    "..."


    Esther remained silent, her expression still blissfully pure of joy, as she stared at the door. ''Your father would be happy to hear you call him dad once more...'' She thought, her smile slightly copsing.


    "..."


    She then sighed, nced at the table, only to see that her sixteen year old son left behind the dishes. ''...I can''t even call you a spoiled brat, can I?'' She chuckled to herself.


    She couldn''t.


    David couldn''t as well.


    They, had no right to say such.


    Especially to him, out of all people. With how they raised him, he deserved to act childish and spoiled, even if its at his current age.


    "Mommy will always love you. Regardless of how you choose to treat the both of us." She said to herself, as she stood up to clean after him.


    A brilliant smile of pure joy resting on her face. Illustrating how purely happy she was to serve her son. Even if it''s a bit toote.


    ~~~


    Avarice Lord''s Mansion.


    Within his study.


    Adonis silently stared in front of him, as a crimson haired beauty, prim and proper, and dressed neatly, poured tea for him.


    He watched as her fair jade-like hands gently picked up cookies from the silver tray on the table, and cing them onto her te. Then onto his te as well.


    He admired as she blissfully hummed a tune he knew nothing about, with an innocent smile on her face. Her lips painted red, and her face a shade prettier than usual due to her makeup.


    "..."


    He marveled at how beautiful she currently was, with her long hair also tied into a beautiful pony tail, ardoned with crimson gold jewelry.


    She was just beautiful.


    "...I''d appreciate it if you did not stare so much, lord Adonis." She said, resting her face onto her palm as she stared at him with a slight smile.


    "Ah..." And Adonis, realizing his blunder, hurriedly averted his gaze in shame. His face a bit flushed due to embarrassment. "My apologies."


    He softly whispered, and though Fiona did not hear him, she smiled brightly. She could already guess what he said. And that only made him all the more cute.


    "It''s alright. I don''t me you. I am indeed pretty." She said, raising her head as if to unt her beauty like a baby peacock.


    "..."


    And though Adonis wanted toment on her borderline narcissistic attitude, he had to admit she was pretty. She had the right to unt it.


    "But, you''re handsome too. So perhaps you deserve a few stares yourself." She added, resting her face back into her hand, as she stared at him with a smile.


    Her gaze was subconsciously softened, when she stared at him.


    Her crimson red eyes, rippling with innocent beauty, like a pool ofva, fiery and out of this world... warming his heart.


    "..."


    And Adonis, now swallowed within that pool ofva, took a second or two before he once more averted his gaze away from her, his face nowpletely red in embarrassment.


    She''s hitting on me!!


    His soul eximed, as he had never been gazed at like that by a woman before. Let alone up so close to his face.


    "...???"


    Fiona also realized her words, and though a bit embarrassed, she kept up a facade. She sat up straight, and faked a cough to attract back his attention.


    Unfortunately, she was unaware of the thoughts he was having, which were definitely not right. She said every word with pure innocence.


    "So... So, lord Adonis, about that suggestion of mine..." She said, picking up her cup to take a sip.


    "Hm..? Ah, oh... that..." Adonis also regained his cool as he responded. He took a deep breathe of air, and became stern. "I''ve thought about it, and... I have to say..."


    He paused, staring up at Fiona with a stern gaze. And though not understanding why, Fiona''s facade of confidence immediately fell apart as she slightly panicked.


    "..."


    She held her breathe, as she wondered whether he would agree to her suggestion or not. Or what thoughts he had concerning them.


    And the pause stroked roughly at her nerves.


    And seeing such a reaction from her, Adonis felt a bit pleased about himself. One way or another, he had to get his get back. "...I love it. I love it very much." He said, a pure smile resting on his handsome face.


    And though that was not part of his retaliation process, Fiona felt her heart skip a beat. She hurriedly averted her gaze, and forced out a response, "...Is that so."


    She said, or rather, she barely whispered. Her tone soft. So soft, Adonis almost did not hear her. ''Did I... Did I make her angry..?'' He wondered.


    Maybe I went too far?


    His thoughts continued, as he mentally told himself not to ever do that again. Meanwhile, Fiona kept her silence as she ate.


    "..."


    "..."


    Adonis joined her, at the same time, he thought back to yesternight, when she decided to pay him a visit at midnight. As usual.


    He thought back to the conversation they had at that time.


    "Huh..?" He remembered looking up in stupor at her, as she stared at him with anger drifting within her fiery gaze.


    "You heard me!!" She said, harrumphing at his reaction.


    But seeing the eyebags below his eyes, and how lethargic he was, she ultimately sighed and sat back down. "Seriously though. Those bastards are going too far..."


    Sheined, her words barely a whisper. Yet Adonis bitterly smiled in response, cing down the pen in his hands. "What''s there that we can do? Father stated that he will not support us, and that we have to conquer each city using our own unique means."


    He leaned back onto his chair as he spoke.


    Fiona did not say anything, and just kept up her angered expression. She could not swallow the disrespect that the nobles gave Adonis.


    Even if she had nothing to do with it, she still felt ufortable with mere nobles looking down on a royalty. Her peer.


    Wasn''t that as good as looking down on her too?!


    How hateful..!!

 Chapter 158 Project Silver III

    <h4>Chapter 158 Project Silver III</h4>


    How hateful..!!


    She cursed, her emotions about to erupt once more. But Adonis did not allow her to do so, as he hurriedly spoke, "The city is mostly managed by the nobles. The positions they hold, make them sturdy pirs of Avarice."


    "If we don''t do something about it, they will immediately withdraw their influence, thus copsing the city. In a few weeks, we might..." He sighed, causing Fiona to look up at him with worry.


    Yes, worry.


    The Strongholds were considered nations, but in truth, were beyond that. Just their cities alone, rivaled modern day nations in terms of poption and management.


    And even then, having a president did not signify monotheistic rulership over a nation. Cities had mayors, city lords, or government officials governing over them.


    It was the same within Strongholds.


    Nobles, each ruled a portion of the city, which they would consider their territory. But overally, they still answered to the city lord. Yet only... if said city lord had power over them.


    Unfortunately... Adonis did not have such power. And this caused the young Romanian princess to worry for him.


    She was worried about him. His mental state. His physical state. She wondered if he could hold up for that, even as a domain lord¨C


    ...!!!


    Wait, domain lord... they were domain lords, beings leagues above others. Even without taking into ount their status as royalty, just being domain lords alone should be enough.


    Fiona had such a realization.


    "Wait..!!" Her thoughts reaching an apex point, she subconsciously stood up with both hands smacking heavily onto the desk.


    Bang..!!!


    "...Huh?" And Adonis looked up at her confused. He was too tired to be shocked, so he just reacted slow, and lethargic.


    "Ah, sorry, sorry... The nobles, or rather, humans in general, are opportunistic people. As long as you give them something that benefits them, they will not mind switching sides." Fiona said in excitement, exining to him the sudden realization she just had.


    Yet Adonis still failed to catch on.


    "...True. But what can we give them? They are doing this on purpose to benefit off of us." He said, sighing once more in defeat. Yet...


    Bam!!


    Fiona smacked the table once more, almost startling the lethargic Adonis as she spoke, "We are domain lords. Not just uprising kings, but rulers ofnds that even gods would envy. What can we give them? Hmph, what do you think?"


    She scoffed as she looked down onto Adonis, whose thoughts weren''t so active due to fatigue. But even then, even he suddenly understood.


    They were domain lords.


    They were king candidates.


    There was definitely something they could offer, that would ensnare these greedy nobles. He thought, as Fiona continued with her words.


    "We can strengthen people with our authority as domain lords. Not only that, we can also bestow Legendary sses at will." She said, forcing Adonis to nod his head in agreement.


    "True, true... but, the requirements are too high, aren''t they?" He inquired, a bitter smile on his face. Yet Fiona had yet to give up.


    True, to maintain the strengthening effect, they would have to supply 1,000 units of Mana per person, for every second.


    Just a single individual would cost them almost a hundred million units of Mana per day. Let alone entire droves of them.


    Then the Legendary sses. As a for now, he only had ten slots avable. Even when deducting one for Lanzelet, as he was confident he would win, they were still nine.


    How many nobles were out there? How many of them had sons and promising warriors? Many. Many to count. And too many to satisfy.


    Adonis thought as such, but Fiona? Fiona was raised by two cunning men, and a woman who fell for one of them.


    She was not always as simple and as cute as she seems. Her thoughts sometimes raged.


    "Hmph." She scoffed, as her eyes twinkled under themp''s light. Yet unlike before, the light within was hiding a devious me, "Simple. We just have to choose seven, no, five noble families, and use them as bait."


    "Use them... as bait..?"


    "Yes. Give them the benefits of being our followers, and then wait as the others fight to earn their positions. The stronger you be, the more slots you will have, and the more you can satisfy their demands." She said, her eyes now sparkling with joy.


    Finally, a solution.


    She beamed with happiness. And Adonis suddenly discovered a new side of this extremely pretty princess. ''How devious.'' He thought, as his thoughts returned to today.


    His Mana, after bing a Master swordsman, finally exceeded eighty billion units.


    A person could normally recover 0.1% of their energy reserves per second, thus meaning almost twenty minutes to recover toplete saturation. Only, and only if your Mana matched your Realm.


    If you have more Mana than your extended Realm, it would require more time. Luckily, the higher one''s potential was, the more they could recover their Mana per second.


    ''Lord Damien said I was talented enough to recover 1% of my Mana per second. And the total Mana reserves for a Grand Master are 250,000 units, meaning I can recover 2,500 units per second...'' He froze, as his thoughts went down a path undesired.


    With eighty billion units of Mana, it would take forever to recover even just a fraction of it.


    ''Luckily, being a domain lord for a Tier 3 domain, increased my recovery rate by three thousand as long as I''m within Avarice.'' A smile crept up his face as his thoughts finally swam out of the undesired path.


    At this rate, he could recover all his Mana in exactly three hours. And doing the calctions, maybe things might work out.


    If using his authority to increase the strength of one person cost a thousand units of Mana per second. Then if he used it for three hours, that would be, 10,800,000 units of Mana per person.


    If he chose five thousand people to support, that would be around fifty five billion Mana units in three hours. Which is far below what he could recover in three hours.


    The cost of expenditure was below his recovery rate. He could manage.


    Coming to such a conclusion, the young man nodded his head at Fiona''s words. After waiting for so long, the youngdy finally obtained a genuine response. "In that case, let''s go with your idea. And start as soon as possible." He dered.


    And Fiona nodded with a smile. "I knew you''de around."


    ~~~


    The next day.


    The Silver mansion.


    Damien walked through the hallway, as he headed towards the underground training room. Along the way, the new servants of the household would move out of the way, and lower their heads as he walked past.


    "Good morning, lord Silver." They respectfully greeted him as he walked by each one of them.


    "Mhm." And Damien hummed in acknowledgement of their greeting.


    This charade continued on for a while longer, until he arrived at an entrance that led downwards, into what seemed like an abyss of never-ending stairs.


    Thus in silence, Damien went down the stairs, until he managed to reach an underground training room. A ce that was asrge as their mansion, as it was asrge as a ser field.


    It was mostly an open space ground, with four pirs at all cardinal directions, connecting the base floor with the ceiling, which so happened to be the base floor of the mansion.


    At the center, sat an ethereal beauty with otherworldly charm. One seemingly at peace with her soroundings. "I honestly thought you wouldn''t check up on me." She said, her eyes closed, with a smile on her face.


    "I had to." Damien responded, as he casually walked towards the center of the training ground, where Juliette sat. "After all, a week should be more than enough for a bit of progress, right?" He added.


    An inquiry that was rhetorical.


    For he knew the answer to that.


    And as he knew, Juliette did not bother responding to him. Instead, she smiled while opening her eyes.


    "Time magic is a bit moreplicated than I thought it would be. Let alone Space magic." She said, as ifining. "And though I did not manage to attain any skills, I did get a glimpse at their meaning... unfortunately, I still need more time."


    She concluded, as Damien finally arrived before her. He gently pressed his hand onto her head, then softly brushed it. "Mhm. You''ve done your best. Thanks." He said.


    "Mhm~" And Juliette happily took those words to heart. ''Ah, being praised by my husband-to-be sure feels nice.'' She thought.


    "How much longer do you need?" Damien wondered.


    "I''m not sure. Around three more weeks for both magic? Ah, but if I had something that has perhaps a high Affinity of both Space or Time, I could instantlyprehend both." She responded.


    "Hmm..." And Damien thought about it.


    Unfortunately, he does not remember much about any Space or Time rted resources around here. So that would be hard.


    "...I''ll ask Adonis and Fiona, perhaps elder sister Anna too, to collect data on people with high ranked sses. Perhaps one or two amongst them have ss Abilities with such attributes." He ultimately responded as such.

 Chapter 159 Project Silver IV

    <h4>Chapter 159 Project Silver IV</h4>


    "Please do." And Juliette smiled in response.


    "That will take time, though. So in the meanwhile, do what you must. If we find nothing within three weeks time, I guess that''s that." He added, and the obedient wife-to-be nodded her head with a smile.


    "Great. We''ll talk then." Damien concluded, removing his hand as he turned around. Juliette felt a bit bitter, but still waved after him, "Okay. Take care, Damien. I''ll be waiting."


    "..."


    Damien silently left the underground training room, ascended the stairs back to the mansion, before taking his leave.


    He was headed towards the construction site, where by now, he was sure that the seven thousand employees of the workers guild had by far, done the foundation of the project.


    Once outside the mansion, he took off to the sky, and quickly flew towards the site. And from his position, he could already see the vast area to be upied by the institution.


    The area the institute covered wasrge, being about 1,000 squar kilometers in range. Yetpared to the city besides it... it was terrifyingly small inparison.


    Avarice city, that was not truly a city in name, covered about 20,000 square kilometers ofnd. Yes, that muchnd, and yet it was designated as just a city.


    The other cities more or less covered the same size, as the totalnd inhibited by humans within the Shade Stronghold was estimated to be 150,000 square kilometers.


    While that uninhibited by humans was over 100%rger. In total, the Shade Stronghold, that was designated as a nation, covered and of over 500,000 square kilometers.


    The Silver Institution was small inparison.


    Damien knew, but had no qualms against it. ''Owning and that is a thousand square kilometers in range while being unranked nobles is a feat.'' He thought.


    Within the Shade Stronghold, every city was toorge to be considered a mere city. No one person could manage it all by themselves.


    Take Adison for example, him alone, managing over fifty million people was nigh-impossible. Which was why there were nobles to help manage portions of said city, while sending in reports every so often.


    The noble ranks were ranked from Baron, to Viscount, to Earl, to Marquess, and finally, to Duke, from lowest to highest.


    And depending on your rank, you could manage a certain number of people, which would be your responsibility.


    Barons took charge of a thousand or less people with their territory, while Dukes had a stagaring six million or less. And all these, were under the influence of Avarice.


    And since Avarice was a single city, the distance between each territory was notrge. But here they were, nning on creating an institution that could house at most two million residents.


    ''We are tantly challenging the authority of the nobles.'' He sighed, as he chose to deal with such a problem the normal way.


    Since he and Juliette were already nobles, by blood, all they had to do was umte merit until they could raise their position. "...Over three months, and by now, most people must be around the First League, while the stronger ones are within the Second League." He said to himself.


    Thanks to The Primordial Source, ascending will be quite an easy feat for anybody, whether talented or not. But that was, if there were adequate opponents to farm Life Essence from.


    "And unfortunately, weck that." He concluded, as he continued to appraise the construction pace.


    Now, with that in mind, Juliette could amass merits by simply creating a mage guild, where she will create spell books to help mages and other spell casters.


    After all, even after three months, progress of creating spells, learning about them, or their nature, was still low. Meanwhile, he could create an adventurer''s guild, that would reward Professionists for doing activities.


    Since both these guild would be helping Avarice progress as a city, they could amass merits, and possibly, legally rank up to Barons, if not Viscounts by chance.


    ''I should also annex the worker''s guild, and give out proficient information pertaining to work-ss Professions. That should help not only Avarice, but the whole Shade nation as a whole.'' His thoughts continued, as a smile barely formed on his lips.


    To legally have and worthy of over two million people, he needed to be a Marquess. And reaching such a rank, shouldn''t be hard for him.


    But why would he stop there? He might as well be a Duke, and the most powerful of all of them. That way, no royal family, let alone a noble household, would dare look down upon the house of Silver.


    "This aside though... I need to give myws some attention. Not only them though, my overall strength as well." He said, calling out his Temte to take a nce.


    [ Name: Damien Gray ]


    [ Mana: ¨C (Nigh-Infinite) ]


    [ Epithet(5): First Blood(Grand), Dragon yer(Myth-1), King Maker(Myth-1), Ascandent Human Progenitor(Myth-3), Lord Damien(Grand) ]


    [ Laws(3): <Void: 3%> <Death: 1%> <Concealment: 1%> ]


    [ ss: Lvl 95 Absolute (0/67,000) ]


    [ Sub-ss: None ]


    [ Excess Life Essence: 15,990,089 ]


    [Alignment: Chaotic Neutral ]


    [ Stats: STR - 243,477.1 || AGI - 34,250.2 || END - 323 989.9 || INT - 98,890.1 || WIS - 109,879.2 || AFF - 81,031.3 (¨C) ]


    [ Stat Points: 1,600 || Ability Points: 1,201 ]


    [ ??? Abilities(1): False Enigma(1) ]


    [ Ultimate Abilities(1): Deus Ex Machina(1) ]


    [ Unique Abilities(7): Wisdom Eye(1), Plot Armor(1), Dragon Heart(1), Runic Encryption(1), Runic Dragonborne(1), Ascendent Foundation(1), Prohpet of Humanity(1) ]


    [ Extra Abilities(0): None ]


    [ Techniques(3): Mana Incorporation(Godly), Infernal Energy Cirction(Unique), Kismetic Mana-Kinesis(Godly) ]


    [ Kismetic Essence: 13,875 units (1/hr) ]


    [ Natural Resistance(3): <Fire: 75%> <Water: 75%> <Wind: 75%> <Earth: 75%> ]


    Damien glimpsed through his temte, then sighed at the slow progress he was taking. "My Mana still refuses to be infinite. Even for someone at my level, having the power to disregards... my infinity should be vast." He thought to himself.


    But even then, a decillion would be somehow infinite to beings like that. Hell, perhaps to even weaker gods, such a number was beyond their normal scale.


    Yet his and Juliette''s Mana, which exceeded such a number by millions, if not billions, was still not considered infinite.


    "...That aside, myws are still quite low ranked." His thoughts continued.


    His Voidw had increased by a bit, thanks to already being the Void Embodiment. Even without doing anything, his Voidw would continously climb up.


    ''With my unlocked potential, and this included, I should reach the maximum control over aw a mortal can wield soon enough.'' He sighed once more.


    10% was the maximumwprehension a mortal can ess. And 20% was the maximum a lesser god could ess.


    Without breaking through, it would be nigh-impossible to go up ahead. Greater gods maxed out at 30%prehension, which would make theirw reach 50% at that point.


    And high gods maxed at 50%, thus perfectly gaining control over saidw.


    To add, greater gods had to have twows at 50% before they can try to be high gods. And high gods had to have threews at 100%, to try and break through.


    This was the whole process of the Third League... at least gaining maxed out control over the abilities of thew a deific being controls.


    "I gained 1%prehension after a week, then 2% after two weeks. With this, it''ll take around 13 months without much effort. And with my potential included, it''ll take a third of that time." He deduced, his gaze still watching over the employees working below him.


    But this deduction of his was based on the fact that he was not focusing on cultivating the Voidw day in, day out.


    If he were to, the time would significantly decrease once more.


    "But that''s not where I want to stop. I need to have at most all ess to all myw to go against the Destiny Eater." He frowned, as he concluded that the Destiny Eater was at most, a noble god at the least.


    And the major requirement to be one, was to have at least threews mastered at 100%.


    With the Destiny Eater''s age and devoured destiny, it should probably have over five maxed outws at the very least. And that, was terrifying in and of itself.


    That aside, he also had plenty Kismet Essence that he could use to oh-so-easily manipte the reality sorounding the humans.


    He sighed onest time, as his gaze finally went upwards. "Alright then. In a months time, I should set out with Juliette to the east. There, I''m sure we can find something that will allow us, despite still being mortals, to ess at most 50% of all ourws."


    "With the connection between Avarice and Romania, Juliette can easily obtain thew of fire. With her Affinity and potential, it is possible. And since thew of fire was used to make the base of our Bloodline, I''ll also have ess to it."


    He paused, then thought about the otherws he had. "The destiny of the Fool that damned her nation is... far too corrupted. If I go there, I will mostly likely ascend with myw of death. I can also recruit yet another king candidate to help Adonis and Fiona."


    "Plus, with the addition of a new domain fused into this one, it might quickly evolve into a Tier 4 domain." He concluded, his gaze set towards the direction where thest Stronghold of their cardinal directiony.

 Chapter 160 A Meeting Within The Dark

    <h4>Chapter 160 A Meeting Within The Dark</h4>


    "...I guess I''ll take elder sister Be with me." He decided, as he chose to return back to the Silver household for now, to let Juliette know about the new arrangements.


    Internal conquest of yet another Stronghold.


    At the same time, before he leaves, he had to let Adonis and Fiona know about couriers of Time and Space rted sses within their circle of influence. A week or two should be enough to have information about them.


    ~~~


    A few hours after Damien''s thoughts finalized.


    Within another city in the Shade Stronghold.


    In apletely dark room, where no visage of light could find its way within. A ce so dark, it seemed like no sane person would choose to reside within.


    And yet one did.


    One such man did.


    "...what do you want?" A dreary voice seeped out of the darkness, as if the one speaking wasn''t a person, but the darkness itself.


    "Now now, why don''t we calm down?" Another voice soon followed after in response. Laid back, and a bit yful.


    "..."


    The voice within the darkness did not respond, as from the corner of the room, a source of light suddenly ignited itself.


    Like a piece of paper being burned within the night, the source of light stood out within the room. And as it stood out, it shone light into its soroundings, revealing a small frog standing atop a book shelf.


    A frog... that seemed rather strange.


    "Ah, sorry sorry. Forgive my rudeness. I just can''t stand the darkness you see." The frog spoke without opening its mouth, or moving an inch of its body.


    "..."


    The voice within the darkness did not say anything. And that, promoted the frog to speak up once more, "I also don''t like the silence. So forgive my rude behavior, if I somehow talk too much." It added.


    "..."


    The voice wit¨C the darkness remained silent.


    But the frog did not seem to care one bit about that. Instead, it continued. It''s tone a bit enthusiastic. "So, how about a job?" It inquired.


    "...a job..?" A response finally came.


    A subtle inquiry escaped the darkness, prompting the frog to respond. "Yes. After all, you were a bona-fide killer, weren''t you? The third ranked assassin, now ranked second?"


    "The Darkness Within, a man so powerful, he seemed so in-tune with the darkness, he became an urban legend. Its stated that once you are within the darkness, he is aware of you, and can kill you instantly. That is how you are described."


    "Those who step within the darkness, and live to see tomorrow, are said to have received your mercy. You''re quite a monster, you were a literal god to us... but after the first ranked assassin eliminated your rival, you''ve been hiding away from the eyes of the world."


    "..."


    "You''ve been absorbed into the darkness, I doubt you''ve seen light for the past few years." The frog said, and of course, that was impossible.


    Even if he desired to stay here forever, the Darkness Within was still human. He had to eat, drink, or even answer the call of nature. He could not stay cooped up within this room every second of the day.


    The Darkness Within, did not respond.


    But the frog did not seem to care much about his response. "After the Night King perished so easily at the hands of the King of Assassins, you realized that even when revered as a god... you were nothing."


    "..."


    "It''s like... "If I am a god, then what is that thing that could easily take my life considered?", is what you live by now, isn''t it?" The frog yfully inquired.


    But the Darkness Within didn''t respond to that either. Instead, he responded to something else entirely. "...if you want me to do something that is rted to the King of Assassins... give up... I''m not doing it." He said.


    "Mhm. Its not rted to her. Instead, its rted to the Adams... I want you to do me a little favor, and attack the princess of Romania under the protection of prince Adonis." The frog said, adding as if to taunt, "Even as a withered husk, you can do that much, can you not, Darkness Within?"


    "..."


    And the Darkness Within sighed. A sigh so deep, it felt as if the darkness around him had thickened. "...what''s in it for me..?" He inquired.


    "Ah, we can discuss that just fine." The frog happily replied, before adding, "You were revered as a god, but truly, weren''t one. You were just human. A much more talented human. And you know that much yourself, right?"


    "..."


    "The same applies to the Night King and the King of Assassins. The former died because he was also human, while thetter killed him because she was just more skilled. But ultimately, all three of you are still humans." The frog continued speaking, despite the silence of the Darkness Within.


    It''s unmoving gaze, that has yet to blink ever since it appeared, remaining locked onto the darkness before it.


    "...what are you getting at..?" The Darkness Within inquired, his tone now a bitid with displeasure.


    "Now now, let''s calm down. Let me finish." The frog said, it''s tone contradicting it''s expression. "You were not truly a god, which is why defeat was all but assured... yet what if, you were to truly be one?"


    The frog finallyid down its chip, and the Darkness Within took a bit longer to respond. He was shocked, truly so.


    Because why... would he even believe that such fairytales exists?


    Yes, the world they were in was one of magic and mystical proportions, but gods were a mere delusions the first generational humans envisioned.


    Most of the second generational humans did not believe in such beings. And even though the might of the third generation proved a bit of such beliefs, most still did not buy it.


    After all, third generational humans were only smarter, faster, stronger, or just more talented than first and second generational humans.


    Meanwhile, the so called gods couldmand miracles and wonders, control the weather, alter nature, and even create worlds. What third generation human can do that?


    Not even the perfect son of Gray could, let alone ordinary third generational humans.


    Such things were impossible¨C


    "¨CEven if they''ve suddenly gained power from this cryptic thing called The Primordial Source, third generational humans still don''tpletely qualify to be gods. Is what you''re thinking, right?" The frog finished up the Darkness Within''s thoughts.


    As if it could read through his mind, like an open book. And this action immediately silenced him.


    But the frog cared less as it continued, "That is true. Since everyone has the blessing of The Primordial Source, everyone might as well as be gods in that case."


    It said, and though subtly, the Darkness Within nodded his head in agreement.


    But then with a tone full of temptations, the frog added, "But what if I told you I can truly make you a god. Or rather, I can give you a tform where you''ll make yourself a god. A genuine god."


    Genuine godhood.


    The frog finally revealed its true hand to the Darkness Within. A hand that held a special offer within the center of its palm.


    "...why should I believe you..?" But the Darkness Within still did not bite the bullet yet. He was a professional assassin. Not a simpleton. "...and what would that even do..?"


    He added.


    Yes, godhood. Such a tempting thing.


    Who in their lifetime, never dreamed of bing a godlike entity? Or a god in fact.


    But what would that do, when the gap between him and the King of Assassins was as vast as the Heavens and the Earth.


    "A god is a god. A mortal is but a mortal. What can thetter do unto the former?" The frog responded as such, "If the records are true, then a mortal can''t damage a god. Even if you don''t attack the King of Assassins, were she to attack you, you would definitely survive."


    It added, and the Darkness Within once more remained silent. The frog had a point. But why should he trust it, when the person speaking can''t even reveal his true identity?


    "As for trust... honestly, I am weaker than you. Even as a third generational human. As someone who is ranked top three amongst second generational humans, you can best 70% of us. If I were to just reveal my identity, you cane kill me anytime. That is, if the information I give you is false." The frog then added after a while of silence.


    And those words, silenced the Darkness Within.


    Why? He wondered. Why didn''t this person go for the chance to be a god themselves? It was suspicious.


    "I am weak even amongst my peers. I am just a bit smarter, that is all. Me attaining godhood would only give me protection against mortals. But if you were to be one, I would get a powerful god as an ally." The frog responded as such, then added after a pause.


    "If, by chance, other people also be gods using their own means, as someone innately powerful, you can defeat them... In essence, having a god capable of battle by my side, is better than being a god myself."


    "..."


    The Darkness Within once more remained silent.


    And this time, the silence ensured until he let out yet another sigh. A sigh so weary, it shook the darkness he was submerged within.


    "...reveal your identity..." He responded atst.


    And the frog''s tone took on quite the jubnt mood as it responded. "I''ll take that as a yes to my suggestion. Now, for my identity... I am the first prince of the Adams royal family, Axel J. Adams. Looking forward to working with you, Darkness Within."


    "..."

 Chapter 161 Towards Norland I

    <h4>Chapter 161 Towards Nond I</h4>


    Evening.


    Silver Mansion.


    Damien visited Juliette once more, and had just told her most of his ns from now on.


    The building of the Silver Institution would take a bit longer, since it is too massive a project, and out of their knowledge. Plus, he needed to collect required materials to truly build a town out of the scope of normalcy.


    Which was why, for the next three weeks, he nned to travel towards thest Stronghold of their cardinal direction for resources.


    At the same time, he nned to use his Kismetic Essence to manipte the growth rate of natural resources within Avarice and Romania.


    As Tier 3 domains, they could both have three deific natural resources, features orndforms rted to their elements.


    So far, the volcano based within Romania was one of them. Then thevake that sorounds the whole of Romania was another. As for the third, he was yet unaware.


    Same with Avarice. They had to find out by themselves, through searching.


    "I see..." Juliette nodded her head in understanding, as Damien concluded his words.


    She understood the gist of their situation.


    But the so called situation was unsteady. There were the ever-silent wolves that were growing stronger by the day. There were probably tens more of low-tier Third League wolves.


    "What about the wolves? The major reason they are dormant is because there''s two presences that threaten them. If you were to leave..." She did not finish up her words, as it was obvious what would happen.


    A great war would descend.


    "That''s not much of a problem. In fact, with this, I want them to attack." Damien responded, sitting cross legged, hands crossed, before Juliette.


    "Huh..?" And Juliette, whoy down rxed, muttered out in shock. "You want the wolves... to attack us?" She inquired, just to make sure.


    "Affirmative." And Damien nodded at her shock, "The wolves are not attacking because there''s two high-tier Third Leaguebatants within our side. And on theirs, there''s probably one."


    "If I were to leave, that''s one less threat to deal with. Hence more confidence to attack. After all, if left be, the wolves will only grow stronger and stronger." He concluded with a sigh.


    And Juliette decided to add up what he was weary to add. "And the appearance of divine creatures would be tough even for the both of us..?" She said, yet inquired at the same time.


    "Not really. I could take on a lesser divine beast by myself. You too. And together, we can easily take on three. Four, if we gave it our all... Hmm, if both my parents could reach our level as well, the four of us can go up against six to seven divine beasts." Damien deduced.


    "But defeat would be quite a high factor." Juliette sighed.


    Four Mythical ranked beings, the pinnacle of mortals, going up against seven genuine divine entities was unheard of.


    This just showed how much potential their little family had. But even then, mortals were still mortals, and the number of divine beasts was almost double theirs.


    Defeat was all but assured.


    "Right. Which is why we need to attack as soon as possible. It would be great if they attacked us first." Damien suggested, but Juliette helplessly shook her head.


    "Sure, humanity has us, but are we enough? There might be quite a few tens of weaker half-divine beasts on their sides. And we don''t have much simr ranked individuals." She revealed the weakness of their side.


    Humanity... had far fewer Third Leaguebatantspared to the wolves, who had tens of them.


    Hence they would be on the losing side.


    "The two of us here, are like a shield for humanity. We are at the same level as the wolf king. If one of us battles the wolf king, the other could quicklyy waste to the minions. Afterwards, we will quickly kill the wolf king together. And end the war." Juliette added after a while of silence.


    "But if one of us leaves, that factor is no longer in ce... wait, is that what will give the wolves enough confidence to act?" But halfway through her deduction, she suddenly had a realization.


    Her man was setting up a trap for the wolves!!


    "True, that is indeed the case. Plus, with five to six seniors of the Gray House, even as Second Leaguebatants, they could quite easily take on mid to high-tired Third Leaguebatants. Especially with their Hidden sses." Damien nodded at her discovery.


    Then he added, "Plus, I''ll still affect the pace of the war through my [Prophet of Humanity] unique skill. So things will ultimately be in our favor... hopefully."


    "Hopefully?"


    "Mhm. Anything can happen. Even as a strong half-divine beast, something about it doesn''t seem right. And I can already glimpse at the answer to this concern at the Nond Stronghold." He exined, his gaze a bit stern.


    "...You think someone has their hand in this?" And Juliette also wondered, a frown on her exceedingly beautiful face.


    "Possibly. And the person has at least a Hidden ss to have such an effect across space... In fact, I can already imagine who it is." Damien responded, "In fact, it''s possible we could even tame these wolves if we are lucky."


    "Really?"


    "I doubt it. There''s too much bad blood between the two races." His response was quick, causing Juliette to roll her eyes at him, "I understand... Don''t worry about me then."


    "I wasn''t."


    "...Now I''m sure the reason you speak back to your parents is because you secretly love them." She scoffed at him, then turned her back at him.


    "..."


    Damien remained speechless, and instead just stood up to leave. Be should be waiting for him outside the Stronghold, if not atop the vast walls of Shade.


    "I''ll take my leave. Oversee the construction site. The materials I''ve used for the foundation are ordinary materials. I''d appreciate it if you converted them to something of greater value using Mana-Kinesis." He lightly said, causing Juliette to impatiently wave him off.


    He once more sighed, and left.


    Since she was like that, she could forget about any hugs or farewell kisses. And luckily, the young maiden was unaware of his intentions, lest she''d beg him to return.


    "Greet big sister Be for me. And have a safe trip." She added, as he was ascending the stairs. "Mhm. You be a good girl and not cause too much of a ruckus while I''m gone."


    "Yes yes, daddy. Whatever you say." She casually said, and after a while, she no longer heard his footsteps. "Mxm... no farewell hugs, or kisses..? My man is such a bore."


    She sighed to herself.


    ~~~


    Meanwhile, at the same time.


    Adonis'' new mansion.


    "Hmm..." The young city lord read through a letter that Ninth just brought to him right now, as his eyes twinkled with curiosity.


    ''Lord Damien is asking so much out of us...'' He thought, a smile on his face. ''Well, at least he''s putting us to use. It''d be bad for us to receive from him, yet be of no use.'' He added.


    He then put away the letter given to him, and turned to the beautiful youngdy standing before him. She wore a clean navy blue plus white maid outfit, with her silver tray hugged along her chest.


    On her face was a face mask that hid her whole face, excluding her eyes. Strangely, she always wore this mask around him, but not around most servants or Sixth.


    It was in obvious she was hiding her face from him. And only him.


    "..."


    Adonis found it strange, but did not overthink it. Just her skinplexion, her slender figure, and the grace she carried herself with, told him of her exquisite beauty.


    Plus, he''s seen half her face quite a few times. Especially her eyes and eyebrows. And that image alone was top ss.


    "Miss Nine, may I ask a favor out of you?" He cleared his thoughts as he inquired with a smile. Ninth raised her head and obediently nodded at his words.


    She was shorter than him, and even shorter than Fiona. As far as he knew, Fiona was 15 years old this year, two years younger than him. But Ninth was even shorter than her.


    Then taking into ount her attitude towards both of them, he could deduce that she was younger than them. Perhaps 14 or 13 years old this year.


    Which exins the obedience. ''Or perhaps she was just raised right..? No, that''s not it. She and senior and Lord Damien were raised by the same people, yet are all different. I guess she''s just naturally adorable.'' He thought, as he decided to ask the favor out of her.


    "Is it possible to go towards every noble household, and ask this out of them? I''d appreciate if they could all be obedient, but if they give you trouble... please handle them with care. Do not kill them. Do not use threats. But please handle them. Is that... possible?" He inquired, knowing how hard that would be.


    Especially for an assassin, who was used to killing or using threats. More so, as her current identity was just a mere personal maid.

 Chapter 162 Towards Norland II

    <h4>Chapter 162 Towards Nond II</h4>


    Representatives.


    Beings who move about representing the will of their superiors, sending out messages or warnings. They were considered as such in this age of humanity.


    And in most cases, representatives are rtives of powerful noble families, or the royal family, that work under the king, or the city lord.


    With their power, they could better control the target of their purpose, or better represent their superior.


    Yet they not only carry their influence and power, but a sign from their superior, that temporarily grants them power above everyone, and below said superior.


    A decree, for example.


    Such was a representative. But there were also cases, where the representative was no being of power or influence, but a loyal follower instead.


    Adonis'' case was almost, simr.


    Ninth was not the rtive, or descendant of a powerful family. Her status as being the Ninth ranked Gray was useless here, thus making her current influence and power null.


    Even if she was somehow rted to the Silver household, her power was not that significant, as they were currently merely barons.


    The reason he chose her was because of her speed. Nine, like most Gray House members, was a Grand Master Professionists. And even amongst her peers, she was insanely fast thanks to her ss and unique skills.


    She could cover the whole of Avarice within a short period. A week was more than enough. ''Unfortunately, with her status, those nobles won''t be obedient...'' Adonis sighed to himself.


    But Ninth nodded at his request, as she took out a silver medal the shape of a nonagon, with a star at each end, and a capital "S" at the center.


    This was the symbol of the house of Silver, that Damien and Juliette made known to the public during the banquet held.


    "I will be okay. My identity has been upgraded. I am not just the personal maid of the city lord, I am also the younger sister of Lord Silver. My name from now on is Keyara Silver. Pleasure to meet you, my lord." Ninth said, slightly bowing her head at him.


    Such a behavior shocked Adonis. Especially as it was sudden, anding from a bona-fide killer like her.


    "...It''s... It''s my pleasure to meet you, Miss Keyara." Adonis took a while to respond, but still responded nheless. ''An alias, huh?''


    "Please call me Keyara, my lord. Otherwise my identity will not fit in." Ninth''s tone was full of determination, not raising her head still.


    This forced Adonis to agree, despite finding it a bit hard. ''Well, at least that''s not her real name.'' He consoled himself.


    "Ah, Miss... I mean, Keyara, here, take this with you. On this errand, you are my representative. If the nobles do not do as you say... deal with them rightfully." He added, throwing a golden medal at her, that was twice as thick, and twice asrge as the silver medal she had.


    The gold medal was square shaped, and had the symbol of Avarice on it, which was the head of an eagle. Below, with the words, "Avarice", written in bold.


    "Yes, my lord." Ninth nodded, catching the golden medal. She bowed once more, then turned to leave.


    Her servitude making her seem more like a professional servant whose been working as a maid for years.


    And not an assassin.


    ''I hope she doesn''t kill them.'' Adonis thought, as he slumped back on his chair.


    By "deal with them rightfully", he meant to arrest them. And he hoped she would do as such. Unfortunately, his intuition told him otherwise.


    "Argh... I can already smell troubleing." He groaned in displeasure as he covered his eyes with his hand. He was tired, he was lethargic, he was at his wits end.


    But since Damien had dered that his two seniors would temporarily bes Silvers, Ninth being his younger sister, and Sixth being their cousin, he had to give them significant positions.


    Personal maid, and vice headmaid.


    Personal guard, and royal knight instructor.


    These positions should give them power over almost 99% of everyone within the whole of Avarice. And then them being Silvers, should add more to it.


    But servants were still servants.


    "Though the Silvers are only barons, due to the knowledge on how to better carter to Mana rted herbs and resources, they are still a wealthy family... nobody would easily mess with them. Probably." He thought out loud, looking forward to a few months from now.


    Plus, they had the backing of the city lord. ''Which is quite ironic, since they are the ones backing me up.'' He thought with a bitter smile on his face.


    But he knew for a fact that by that time, the Silvers would be the most terrifying noble family below kings and emperors. Hell, even said regalities would be forced to respect them.


    ''Can''t wait...'' He subconsciously thought to himself.


    And as he had those thoughts, he glimpsed at the new notification that recently appeared before him and Fiona, the only two domain lords so far.


    [ Congrattions, domain lord Adonis, domain lord Fiona, your domains have finally stabilized themselves ]


    [ A profileration of Mana and Universal Essence has burst forth within both territories. Due to the fusion, Avarice will share one characteristic that will also be within Romania ]


    [ Avarice has the following three deific characteristics :- The Divine Neem(High-grade Tier 4), Avarice Stone(Mid-grade Tier 4), All-Natural Zone(Low-grade Tier 4) ]


    [ The shared characteristic of both Domains is :- Ethereal Farnds(Low-grade Tier 5) ]


    [ Domain lord Adonis can choose the location where the Void Gateway will be established. Note. Moving a Void Gateway will require Mana/Divine power that is one thousand times more than the grade of the domain (15+ quadrillion units of Mana), thus think wisely before choosing the location ]


    [ Note. For safety precautions, the requirednd area for a Void Gateway is 25*25 square meters, and mustn''t be inhibited by living beings ]


    [ Once established, instant transportation between both Void Gateways will be possible. But the amount transportations per day will be limited to 3,000 entries for deific beings (300,000,000 entries for mortals) ]


    "...This will be tough." Adonis sighed to himself, as without Damien or Juliette around, he had a lot of homework to deal with.


    This was also why he chose to send Ninth out, instead of going himself. Even though it was hasty, and did not follow most of the royal rules, he still sent her out.


    After all, he, and apparently Fiona, had a lot of work to do. And three weeks were not enough for all of said work.


    "Ah, I guess I should start now." The young city lord took out the map of Avarice, one that detailed the section under the city lord''s territory.


    The Void Gateway had to be close to him, so he could better manage it himself. And, with this, the Silvers will have yet another means to amass merits. ''After all, I can''t better exin how this works, either than ming it on the mysterious Silver household.''


    ''Hmm... I guess they''ll also need a branch household within Romania as well. Lord Damien said he will sell out books that theorize the workings of Void transportation too. That sells it, then.'' A bitter chuckle left his mouth as he thought up to there.


    The Silver household... is going to be filthy rich after this. Which noble would not want to get their hands on such top grade information?


    ''Even father would definitely buy one, let alone my siblings. Hehe, hahaha... this man is amazing. Truly amazing.'' He concluded his inner monologue, as he found the perfect location for the Void Gateway.


    All that was left, was to initiate its creation.


    At the same time, atop the giant walls that separated the Shade Stronghold and the vast expanse of nature, a duo stood unbothered by the chaotic winds.


    The wall was over a hundred meters tall, and ten meters thick. Something that took tens of thousands of workers to build, within the span of a couple of decades to finalize.


    Even without the fortification of Mana, this wall could probablyst a few hits against Advanced Professionists. And now, with Mana included, it could probably defend attacks from Great Master Professionists as well.


    Atop this great wonder of humanity, Damien nced at his sides, at the beautiful woman who stared at the vast expanse of nature before her.


    A in that stretched on for distances so significant, she couldn''t fathom crossing through them even as a Grandmaster Professionist. "...The world looks more beautiful at night, doesn''t it?" She inquired to herself.


    Her words, distantly swimming within the chaotic winds. The softness of her voice not having any special effects whatsoever. "...Mhm. it does." Damien responded.


    His gaze moved from Be, an eldest sister of his, adopted by his parents, and towards the vast expanse of nature before them. A in so vast, so beautiful, it seemed magical.


    "Are you ready?" He inquired, and a response quickly returned to him. "Yes. I''ve said my farewells to the youngdy, and left her a message. She should be moving towards the first candidate''s city."

 Chapter 163 Towards Norland II

    <h4>Chapter 163 Towards Nond II</h4>


    "Adonis, huh?" Damien murmured out to himself at her words, but Be was still able to pick out his winds even within the chaotic winds.


    "Yes. She should be there with him for theing month." Be added, not questioning Damien about where they were going.


    The young man just called for her, and imed that a mission was avable for her. As for the reward that was capable of attracting her from her young mistress...


    "...junior brother¨C"


    "As promised, you can call me little brother. Or Dammy. Whatever flows better along your tongue." Damien cut through her words, as the always apathetic Be Gray, showed a bashful side of her.


    Yes. One of the reward for this mission, wasplete ess to calling Damien affectionately. And him also acknowledging her as an older sister.


    "Okay. I''m not sure of the contents of the mission, but take care of me, Dammy." She said, slightly gazing at him from the corner of her vision.


    "Mhm. I''ll also be in your care, elder sister." Damien responded, waving his hand across him, as the space in front of them ruptured apart.


    It shattered like a mirror, before copsing onto itself to create a pool of endless abyssal darkness. A sort of darkness that would eat away at one''s sanity by just ncing at it.


    "Let''s go." He said, going into the void pathway that he called forth, with Be choosing to follow after him without hesitation.


    She knew her junior brother would never hurt them. Though he never, not once, showed clear affection to them, he never showed hatred as well. None at all.


    In fact, from parents, to the whole Gray House, Damien never really opened up to them. He never liked the way they raised him.


    Nor did he like the fact that he had to share his parents with a group of others. He also felt, one-sidedly, that their affection was fake. If he could not show love to his own blood, he didn''t believe that people unrted could do the same.


    But within the previous timeline, events took ce, that showed him how much these people, these self-proimed siblings of his, loved him so much.


    Even his parents changed at some point. He just ignored the changes back then. Plus, living without them, made him appreciate them more.


    ''I don''t want to admit it, but I missed all of them at some point. I had immense regret because they existed, yet I never acknowledged that.'' He thought, as in this lifetime, he chose to indulge in their love.


    Even if he did notpletely feel the same way, he could at least reciprocate. For someone who lost everything, and spent decades by himself.


    He wanted to have everything, and spend centuries, nay, millenia, with a lot of them. Be it Flint and his people, the Gray House, his family, Juliette, the Vermillions, Adonis... and many more toe.


    He will not be alone.


    And the first step to that... was opening up.


    Well, it was still unbelievable to others.


    "I honestly didn''t expect such a day toe." Be''s voice echoed out throughout the air, as she made her exist out of a murky whirlpool of darkness behind her.


    "...Maybe I matured?" Damien offered a response, as he stood at the edge of what she would consider a cliff.


    "Matured..." She repeated that word, as her gaze spun around her. She marveled at the vastnd that was empty all around them.


    As far as her gaze could see, the gaze of a Grandmaster at the peak of pure mortality, that stretched on for two miles, there was nothing.


    The sight of a Grandmaster could urately see anything within two miles. That including a subtle change of expressions, or a finger twitch. Yet within such a range, Be saw nothing.


    No trees, no grass, no shrubs, no sources of water, no hills, just a clearndscape. "Yeah. I realized that at the end of the day, you all love me dearly. The least I could do, is reciprocate." Damien exined.


    From where he stood, before him was an endless world of darkness below. They were standing at the edge of a cliff. One so tall, they couldn''t see the bottom from here.


    It was as if they stood at the edge of the world. And below them, was the bottomless pits of hell.


    "...I see." Be responded,ing to stand besides him. She could barely see a thing below her, but Damien could.


    As a Mythic Profession, a being at the same level as stronger demigods, his sight could urately see anything within sixteen miles.


    Then taking into effect his foundation as an Ascendent Human, his natural eye sight increased by five times. Then his [Wisdom Eye] unique skill further passively increased it by a hundred times.


    He could clearly see anything within a range of 8,000 miles. And even though his gaze could not reach the bottom, since the cliff was still taller, he could still see the half-prosperous town 3,000 miles from here.


    A town of around three million residents, all merrily going about their day. ''The town of ¨ªvaldi, the gateway towards the city of Svartalfheim, the city of craftsmanship... Flint would love this ce.'' He thought to himself.


    He then turned around, and walked away from the cliff. Be did not waste time, and chose to follow after him.


    She could not see anything anyway.


    "Ah, by the way, we are in Nond." He said, and though a bit shocked, Be robotically nodded her head.


    Since childhood, her younger brother could do it all.


    Swordsmanship? Mastered. Spearmanship? Mastered. Axe mastery? Mastered. Hand to handbat? Mastered. Assassination? Mastered. Whip mastery? Mastered.


    Name it, and he mastered it.


    What of teleportation?


    "I cannot cook. Well, not professionally. I cannot perfectly clean a house. I cannot knit clothes. Not at all. Nor sew them." Damien abruptly spoke, then added, "I''m not perfect. There are things even I cannot do. So elder sister, I''ll be in your care."


    "...Mhm. You are in good hands." Be responded, slightly lowering her head as the sun was reflected through her sses, obscuring her shaken gaze.


    Being called elder sister... felt so nice.


    Damien pretended not to be aware and continued, "There''s the capital region of Nond, Asgard, four to five thousand miles from here. Taking your speed to ount, we can arrive there in a minute or two. Five to ten minutes if we rx."


    He said, and Be nodded her head in agreement. Seeing as she was ready, Damien took off to the skies, and she chase after him at quite a rxed pace.


    The distance both of them covered within an instant, being inhuman. And yet one was still 100% mortal, while the other had at most deificated 50% of their overall being.


    Yes. Damien was not a god, true, but he was 50% higher being. He was 50% closer to ascending to higher leagues altogether.


    BOOM!!


    BOOM!!


    Their bodies shattered the sound barrier, as the both of them were miles away by the time the sonic booms shook the air.


    But questions still had to be asked. Questions such as this; "How are we going to enter through Asgard? Unlike other cities, the Gray House failed to infiltrate its circles. Same with Alfheim. They are too intricately protected." Be inquired, as her doubt was clear.


    The Gray House had identities within most Strongholds. And in each Stronghold, they may, or may not have a subsidiary force under them. Nobles for example, or low leveled influential beings.


    Their aim was not world conquest, but a means to obtain information. But as time progressed, distance between each Stronghold increased, thus also decreasing loyalty from their subsidiary forces.


    Those working within Asgard, might have betrayed them. Their loyalty was not full proofed.


    Be had her doubts, but Damien did not seem bothered. "Don''t worry too much. The Sigyn household is still rtively loyal to us. And I''ll use their status to grant us both identities."


    "But for that, we must first enter the city of Asgard. And I''ve already manipted Destiny to fit our circumstances." He concluded, and though notpletely understanding the concepts mentioned, Be nodded.


    Destiny, huh?


    She wondered, now skeptical about it''s existence and influence. In this time and age, anything, and literally anything... ''Was possible.'' She thought to herself, as they continued onwards.


    ~~~


    At the same time.


    Outside the capital city of Nond.


    A very luxurious coach made its exist out of the city, at quite the terrific speed. Behind it, a squad of knights in silver armor and royal capes chased after.


    They rode on bulked war horses, that were 25%rger than ordinary war horses from earth. Their speed also being faster.


    The knights clutched tightly onto the reigns of their war horses, as the wind assaulted their bodies without a care. Nofort nor peace for any of them.


    And their princess did not seem to care about their overall well being. The coach did not decrease its speed.


    Meanwhile, inside the royal coach charging forth at quite the high speed, the young and pretty princess, Loptr, furrowed her brown in displeasure as she thought.


    ''How hateful..!!'' She thought about the urrences that took ce in the past months.

 Chapter 164 Towards Norland IV

    <h4>Chapter 164 Towards Nond IV</h4>


    ''How hateful..!!'' She thought about the urrences that took ce in the past months.


    The most annoying being the fact that she... could still not fix the problem she has caused for her beloved. ''I hate this..!!'' She suppressed the urge to shatter the window with a punch.


    She was not the aggressive type, nor the impulsive type, but this situation, boiled her anger to limits she never knew were avable.


    ''What''s even going on around here, exactly?!'' She wondered. Her expression still intact, excluding the furrowed brows.


    To others, she still seemed as delicate and as pretty as always.


    Her ck hair, cascaded down her shoulders like a pool of darkness. Her clear blue eyes, like two celestial moons suspended within a white void, shone with countless thoughts. Her small lips pursed as her thoughts continued.


    "..."


    "..."


    Meanwhile, the youngdy that was her personal maid, as well as another youngdy that was her best friend of sorts, felt bothered by her silence.


    Hyro, her personal maid, was a youngdy who by far, was not the prettiest. She had average charm, and possibly, an average body, with arge chest and prominent curves.


    Her only saving grace, perhaps.


    She stared at her mistress, a frown on her face. Meanwhile on her side, was a beautiful youngdy, in her mid twenties.


    She had pure brilliant blonde hair, neatly tied into a bun, as well as clear blue eyes. A feature that most citizens of Asgards had. Their counterparts having white or ck hair instead.


    She had an amazing body, as well as descent charm. She also stared at Loptr with concern, "Princess, I know you don''t like it, but what''s done, is done. Get over it." She said.


    She had to say something, otherwise Loptr would depress herself. And as expected, those words helped her. "...Those wretched bastards!!"


    Loptr blew off her top.


    "How can they disappear for two weeks, and suddenly return, iming that they saw no signs of Shade?! That''s two weeks!! Even taking into ount the fact that they went back and forth, they spent an entire week travelling!!"


    "With the ck hounds, they should be able to cover an area of 500 miles a day. That''s a lot of distance in a week, yet they came across nothing?! Argh..!! Why didn''t they push on forward then?! Useless bastards!!" Cussed the young pretty princess, destroying her image.


    "Oh boy..." Yet the twodies with her, did not seem to mind whatsoever. It was as if they knew that nothing would get to her, once she was ruffled up to this extent.


    Unless you use her weakness.


    "A princess who is so foul mouthed, and speaks down on her subjects. I am sure he would not like that." The blondedy said, matter-of-factly.


    "Ah..." And Loptr immediately shut her mouth, not refuting her words. Indeed, her beloved wouldn''t like such a woman.


    But she couldn''t help it.


    Just learning that the n she made, after going through so much, was all for naught, infuriated her. As far as she remembers, the Shade Stronghold was supposed to be thousands of miles away from the Nond Stronghold.


    At least, that was as such, twelve years ago, when her mother brought her towards the Shade Stronghold.


    The rare urrence when people travel between Strongholds. Usually, each Stronghold is its own world, as trade between such behemoths urred once every decade, when the kings met at the Central Stronghold.


    Otherwise, rarely, did people travel between Strongholds. And there were multiple reasons to that.


    Firstly, due to the vast distance. Secondly, due to the dangers lurking outside the Strongholds. Third, each Stronghold was its own world, being able to trade within themselves.


    Each city within was like a nation, so a Stronghold was akin to a congregation of nations that could sustain each other.


    There were other reasons, but the situation was as such. So Loptr only traveled outside of Nond twice, twelve years ago when she went to the Shade Stronghold.


    And nine years ago, when her father took her to the Central Stronghold for the STF event, the Stronghold Trade Fair.


    Next year would be the third time.


    Unfortunately, throughout the years, the distance between each Stronghold would increase. And though minimal, the increase was there. At most, by the tens of miles every year.


    And when the world be a Realm, the distance increased again. By insane magnitudes at that. Same when it evolved into a Stage 2 Realm.


    Loptr, or rather 99% of humanity, did not know that the distance between each Stronghold within a cardinal direction... exceeded a billion miles in terms ofnd.


    Let alone those separated by cardinals.


    "The world is mutating, your highness. Nobody knows for a fact, what kind of mystical events the soldiers came across, for them not to arrive at their destination even after traveling 3,500+ miles." She exined, hoping to calm down Loptr.


    And Loptr, now calm, did not respond to her words.


    "So how about we calm down, and¨C"


    Boom!!


    Bang~!!


    An explosion urred outside the coach. One so mighty, it shook the bnce of the coach, throwing the threedies around, like balls within a lottery machine.


    "Aahh..!!"


    "Holy moll¨C!!"


    "...!!!"


    The tumbling and tossing around urred for two to three seconds, before the coach regained its bnce,ing to halt a few seconds after.


    "Ah... my head..." Loptrined, an ufortable sensation striking the back of her head. But that aside, she felt no pain.


    Hm?


    She opened her eyes, only to see a valley between two mountains before her. Then the sweet aroma of her loyal servant, Hyro, assaulted her nose. Followed by her caramel-like rough skin.


    "My... mydy, forgive, my rudeness... but, are you... are you okay?" She softly inquired, her body softly wrapping around Loptr''s body protectively.


    There were bruises on her left cheek, her chin, and below her right eye, but she did not mind them. The concern drifting within her gaze as she stared at Loptr stuck between her chest, was all too real.


    "...Let go of me, Hyro. I am perfectly fine. Thank you." She responded, tacticly escaping the embrace of Hyro, who obediently nodded her head.


    "I''m d you two are okay." Frieda, the best friend and instructor of princess Loptr, said in relief. Her words attracting the other two''s attention.


    And to say they were shocked, would be an understatement. "You..." Loptr desired to say something, but quited down instead.


    She ignored the perfect condition that Frieda was in, and instead carefully brushed aside the curtains of her coach. She wanted to take a peak to what''s was going on outside.


    "Ah..." And to be shocked, she was.


    More so than seeing Frieda in perfect condition after all that tumbling. In fact, this was the greatest shock she has had so far. Because...


    They were hundreds of miles above ground.


    "..."


    She closed back the curtain, and sat herself down at her previous location. Silent. She sat back down in absolute silence, yet without a hint of panic.


    "...Your highness?" Hyro called out in concern.


    "...You seem rather shaken up." Frieda also said something, sitting herself down as well. Calm beyond belief.


    "Mhm. The situation is beyond my power, so why should I stress it?" Loptr shrugged her shoulders in response. Not a shred of care in her tone.


    "If only you had that mentality concerning that little crush of yours." Frieda sighed in defeat, shaking her head in disappointment.


    "...Says the same woman who is obsessed with a child, worshipping him as a god." Retorted Loptr, ruffling up Frieda''s feathers. "I''ll let you know, He is, indeed a god. A god, I say."


    "He''s just a brat the same age as me. Why don''t you worship me as a goddess then, huh?" Loptr retorted once more.


    "...yes, you''re right. I should truly know my ce before the great, and mighty exalted goddess of misfortune herself." Frieda fired back.


    "..."


    And Loptr found herself speechless.


    Third generational humans. Quite a few of such beings, were special cases. They were the reason why some humans considered them closer to godhood.


    The sessor of David being one of them, as he had inhumanprehensive talents, inhuman fighting capabilities, inhuman strength, inhuman speed, inhuman durability, and great foresight.


    Evenpared to his peers, he was merely a monster. A special born child. And Loptr, was one of them.


    Unlike the sessor of David, she had this effect she''d like to call a "curse", that brought misfortune to ces she''d often visit. Or people she often interacts with.


    Even before this ursed ss chose her, Loptr knew she was unique. Hell she was already being worshipped as a goddess of misfortune by a cult within Jotunheim before she learned to speak, let alone walk.


    So Frieda''s words, struck a real nerve.


    Thus she did not respond, leaving the interior of the luxurious coach in silence. A nerve-wrecking, yet strangely, peaceful silence.


    "If you are all done interacting, we''d like to have a conversation with you. Pleasee outside." And at that moment, an ethereal soft voice broke their moment of silence, as the hearts of all threedies sank.


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    Loptr did not say anything, and took yet another peak outside through the corner of her window. And to more of her shock, she found that they were at the edge of the cliff.


    There were no more flying, but on ground.

 Chapter 165 God of Death

    <h4>Chapter 165 God of Death</h4>


    Loptr sneaked a nce outside her royal coach, only to realize that they were now back on ground. And far away from Asgard.


    They were at the edge of the cliff.


    ''The maw of death that will lead us towards Svartalfheim... why here?'' She wondered, a bit too calm for someone in her situation.


    All three of them were far too rxed. True, their hearts were roughly tugged at their circumstance, but each one of them seemed used to this.


    ''Well, Loptr''s misfortune never negatively affects her. In fact, the misfortunes she brings others, brings back fortune for her.'' Frieda thought as well, sighing in defeat.


    ''This time''s misfortune befell the guards we had. All of them are probably dead by now. Then, from now on... she will have a fortuitous encounter.'' She added, barely a smile forming on her lips.


    "Allow me, mydies." Hyro stood up as she took the lead to open the door of the coach, leaving first before she could be stopped. No fear, nor hesitation felt within her actions.


    "...Well then, I''ll go after." Frieda followed after, being the second to leave. They had to scout thend for Loptr, their princess.


    "..."


    And with a sigh, Loptr was thest to leave. She took a step out of the carriage, shading her eyes with her hands as the sunlight was a tad bit too bright for her.


    After a few seconds of adjusting, she finally stood outside of the coach, with both her hands sped before her waist. Frieda on her left, and Hyro to her right.


    And before them, was an extremely handsome man who had a strange mixture of tinum blonde and silver hair, as well as an attractive pair of clear blue eyes.


    On his side, was a ck haired youngdy, who was of a shorter stature than the man. She was extremely beautiful, with her sses adding more to her beauty.


    Her body stood out amongst alldies here, as she was well blessed and endowed in all areas. The three presumed that the one to speak before, was definitely her.


    "...Uhm, I''m sorry for being unaware, but you two are?" Loptr spoke first, taking the reigns of leadership.


    For some reason, the oldest of them all here was strangely silent. ''For someone who talks a lot, you sure are silent, Frieda.'' She thought, her clear blue eyes gazing at Damien.


    She had never seen a man so handsome in her entire life before. Not even her beloved was close to matching this level of beauty, and he was one of the most handsome she knows.


    This man seemed so beautiful, it felt like a sin just to interact with him.


    "Don''t stress it, your highness." Damien responded, his voice a bit too charming. Even without trying, he was just too much.


    Loptr thought, a bit dissatisfied.


    Howe there was someone more handsome than her beloved? That could not be tolerated. "In that case, I will not. But I''d still like to know of your identities, please." She responded as well.


    Her words not matching her thoughts at all.


    And Damien, not caring much about the thoughts of a sixteen year old girl, he chose to jump straight to the point.


    But just as he was about to speak, Frieda, who was extremely silent besides Loptr, suddenly trembled as she uttered out. Her wordsid with pure disbelief and shock, "Exalted... exalted, g¨Cgod... god of death..? The cold reaper of lives, sessor of David, and prince of assassins... my, my lord, is this..."


    ...!!!


    She did not even finish her words, as without a second thought, she crumbled down to her knees.


    Her legs immediately gave up, and she found herself lowering her head in fear, "Frieda Sigyn greets his exalted grace!!"


    She fervently greeted out, fear still evident within her tone. Yet aside it, was excitement of equal magnitude. If not greater.


    And hearing her words, almost everyone within the area was shocked beyond belief. Even Be was a bit shocked.


    ...!!!


    Loptr subconsciously took a step back, as her heart slightly wavered. Hyro quickly stood before her, yet her body was trembling in fear, despite the zing determination to die swimming within her gaze.


    She was a being ready to die for her princess. Life mattered not,pared to the joy and happiness of herdy.


    But right now, she was afraid. She found herself fearful, despite the determination to die.


    Loptr herself was also shocked.


    She was revered as a goddess, and so was the man standing before her. He was revered as a god. And one that was far more powerfulpared to her. With more followers.


    He hunted down so many lives, he earned the moniker of "god of death". He was also called "the cold reaper of lives" due to the extreme apathy he showed to his victims.


    Why was he here..?


    She wondered to herself, not even being bothered by Frieda''s actions before her. She expected as much from a fanatic meeting their ''god'' first hand.


    Her followers reacted as such too. Some even sacrificing their children and loved ones to her.


    Though obviously, they attained nothing, since she was not truly a goddess, and could not receive the sacrifices.


    ''Frieda Sigyn. I had forgotten about the obsession this troublesome fly has towards Damien. But for her to recognize him even with such a change... how perceptive.'' Be also thought, her shock only reaching to that extent.


    "Calm down. I am not hear to start up a fight." Damien waved his hand before him, releasing gentle waves of Mana that calmed down everyone.


    His Mana, that was thousands of times purer than theirs, forcefully ignited their Mana to smoothly alleviate the stress on their nerves.


    Once they were all rtively calm, to an extent, he continued, "I am here for work, a favor, and finally, to give you a chance." He concluded, his gaze set on Loptr.


    "A chance..?" And now calm, the princess frowned as she inquired. She wondered what the ''god of death'' would want to give to her, a vault of living misfortune.


    As for work? She cared less about that.


    "I''d like to find a better ce to discuss, but it''s fine either way. Firstly, Frieda..." Damien called out to the still kneeling woman, amidst his response to Loptr.


    "Yes, your excellency? What can this mere servant do for you?" Frieda responded, the pride and attitude she had even before a princess, another false god, thrown away.


    "I''d like for you to grant us identities within your family''s influence. Be it as guards or servants, it doesn''t matter. You can do that much, can''t you?" Damien ignored her attitude, and responded to her.


    This... identity of death he was bestowed. He nned to keep it, and in fact, make great use of it in this region.


    "...Yes, as your exalted grace deems fit. I will do as you say." Though she trembled at the presumptuous idea of having her ''god'' act as a servant, she still nodded in response.


    Her obedience superceded her feelings.


    "It''ll be for three weeks, to a month at most. Then for the favor. Your highness, I''d like to make trade with the residents of Svartalfheim and the other regions, concerning their specialties. But as trade cannot be done without the supervision of a royalty, would you like to help?" Ignoring Friedapletely, Damien turned to Loptr.


    And though the princess was physically weakpared to him, status wise, they were both equals. Potential sessors to their parents, both special born third gen, and beings revered as deities.


    She frowned and inquired, "Trade? I wonder what you would be trading, and what I would get in return for helping you."


    She said, holding her breathe in anticipation of Damien''s response.


    "..."


    "..."


    Be and Frieda also remained silent, waiting to hear from Damien. The former was not so short minded to let something like this bother her.


    Damien did not like to act all high and mighty, hence she saw no reason to intervene for him, when someone his age spoke to him informally. They were both kids to her.


    Meanwhile, to Frieda, this meeting was one between two deities. After all, the fact that she believes Damien is the god of death, she had no choice but to acknowledge the existence of other special born third gen children.


    And Loptr, was one of the more influential ones. She and Damien could be said to be chaotic ''gods'' who bring about fear just by mentioning their names.


    As for Hyro? She was just a personal maid.


    "..."


    She had no right to intervene.


    "A reward, huh?" Damien finally responded, causing Loptr to tense her muscles. "Alright. I''ll supply information concerning the love of your life, and his wellbeing. I will also promise to do everything within my power to help him when ites to it."


    "I can also help you achieve your goals of trying to supply aid to him. As for how? Don''t stress it for now... Is that satisfactory for you, princess?" He concluded, causing the tense Loptr to frown even more.


    For this reward, he wouldn''t be losing out anyway. He was already in support of her so called beloved, and wouldn''t let him easily die.


    He also came here to create domains that will be added into the fusion of Adonis and Fiona''s domains. So a win-win situation for him.

 Chapter 166 "Deities" Conversing

    <h4>Chapter 166 "Deities" Conversing</h4>


    "...For you to give in so much, shows that your favor is going to be a bothersome one. But nheless, I agree." She nodded, sighing to herself.


    The offer was just too appetizing. Information about her beloved was tempting enough, but then helping her give aid too? That was more than enough to convince her.


    "Good. For the chance, we can discuss that within Asgard, in the territory of the Sigyn family." Damien smiled slightly, satisfied with how everything took ce.


    Not like he expected anything else, when he had manipted Destiny just for this meeting.


    The fact that Frieda was abruptly with Loptr, was all his doing. There were no coincidences. To him, at least. To the rest, everything else was a big coincidence.


    "That''s great and all, but... what about the guards? What do I tell my father about them?" Loptr''s frown did not leave her face, as she turned around only to see her royal coach.


    The squad of tens of knights was nowhere to be seen. Not even a hint of them was here.


    Those were powerful First Leaguebatants you know? A few of them being Masters at that. And yet they perished? Just like that?


    She couldn''t bear with it.


    "...Do not worry. You should go about your day as nned. You are off to Alfheim, right? My elder sister here will protect you in their stead." Damien said, as his gaze went down the cliff.


    Asgard was located at the top of the cliff, which had a surface area of tens of thousands of miles. Meanwhile, Alfheim was located along the decreasing slope of the cliff.


    Around half way towards the ground, was where the city was, within a forest. And unless one rode there using the rainbow deers, a special breed of deers, they would not arrive.


    It was one of the nine wonders of Nond. Unlike the other two Strongholds, Nond was long since associated with strange things.


    Each city had its own wonder, that could not be exined throughmon sense.


    Back to Alfheim. Damien remembered that no matter how short the distance was, it would take exactly 24 hours to go about Alfheim through the rainbow deers.


    Damien thus deduced, "It should take you 24 hours to reach Alfheim, since you are using the rainbow deers to draw your coach. Then concerning your errand, should take you a day or two before you choose to return. Another day of leaving Alfheim not included."


    "In total, an estimation of five days, to a week, is when you will be headed back towards Asgard. Until then... I''ll be doing a little errand." He concluded, surprising alldies around him.


    Be included.


    "An errand?" Loptr followed his gaze, and then guessed, "Will you be going towards Svartalfheim first?"


    "...Mhm." Damien nodded. "I''ll be discreet, so don''t worry." He added, already taking off towards the skies.


    "Elder sister..." He gently called out, and Be sighed before she responded, "I will protect the youngdies to the best of my abilities. Do not worry, junior... Dammy."


    "Mhm. Thanks. As for Frieda... take good care of my sister, and perhaps, I might reward you." He said, towards the still kneeling Frieda.


    Faith was fickle. Belief had to be maintained. Especially now, when everyone was bing supernaturals. So even if it wasn''t about his fake belief, he still had to keep their loyalty at least.


    "Y¨CYes, your excellency!!" And the youngdy responded in excitement, trembling slightly even.


    "..."


    Damien then ignored them all, and dove down towards the endless darkness at full speed. In no time at all, he disappeared below.


    And as he disappeared, silence took over.


    No word was uttered by any of the fourdies, as they all just stared at each other. Amd the mood remained as such, until Frieda stood up, dusted her dress, and bowed towards Be.


    She made a 90¡ã bow, that showed extreme respect. "This humble servant greets her excellency." She said, her tone also respectful.


    "Oh? I thought your reverence only extended towards my junior brother." Bemented, not affected whatsoever.


    Frieda fixed her posture as she responded, "My heart indeed only has his excellency within, but the elder sister of a god, is a god themself, right?"


    Be hummed in thought, as she nodded, "I see your point. But rather than a goddess, I''d rather you acknowledge me as a devil. The underground revere me as such."


    "...mhm, as your excellency wishes then." Frieda nodded, then stood aside. A ''goddess'' on one side, a ''devil'' on the other.


    What a peculiar situation she was in.


    "We should begin on our journey now. I hope there is enough space for me as well, within your coach." Be suggested, and Loptr agreed. "There is. You will sit with Frieda, and I with Hyro."


    She responded, already walking back into the coach. Hyro following after, with Frieda gesturing towards the coach for Be.


    There were at the edge of the cliff, which was five thousand miles away from Asgard, which was one thousand miles away from the point of descent of this cliff.


    From there, there was three thousand miles of descent down the steep slope to Alfheim, which required a slow pace. Just going down or up, will require three times the average time.


    Thus one might even say going down the slope was as difficult as traversing nine thousand miles, instead of three.


    "In total, we will be crossing fifteen thousand miles. Then we still have a day of traversing to find Alfheim... luckiky, the rainbow deers are one of the fastest animals we have. We''ll be able to reach Alfheim in a week''s time. Rest included." Frieda deduced, as everyone listened on intently.


    Damien dragging them here increased their distance by five thousand miles. That alone increased the time they''d spend to reach Alfheim by two days.


    Then taking into ount the fact that they will spend a day or two in Alfheim... "We won''t be back here until after sixteen days at most... estimation wise." She concluded, causing everyone to be dejected.


    ''As Dammy nned...'' Be sighed at how devious her junior brother was. She thought back to the words he told her before they assaulted Loptr''s coach.


    "I''ll drag them back to where we were, just to extend the time a bit. Then I''ll leave them with you just for monitoring. Meanwhile, I have an errand at the bottom of the cliff, that I need to deal with. A week or two might not be enough."


    "If I''m done earlier, I''ll find you in Alfheim. I should be able to do that much with my power. But if I take time, I''ll rely on you to stall for a bit." He concluded, as she nodded at his words.


    ''This will be bothersome.'' She thought, already missing Adriana and the peaceful life they both had back home.


    At the same time as the girls left, Damien arrived at the bottom of the cliff.


    He did not go to Svartalfheim as Loptr thought, but instead, towards yet another city down below. A city of the dead. Well, it''s not a city, but a burial ground for all heinous people, or those unfortunate.


    The crime of death was paid by being thrown ten thousand miles above ground, and straight down here, which assured death. And through the span of decades that Nond began, millions have been thrown down this pit.


    This pit that the residents consider hell, the city of the dead, Helheim. A city that housed the unredeemable criminals of all other regions of Nond.


    "The deathly presence is thicker than I presumed." Damienmented, as he gazed down at the sea of skeletons, rotten corpses and gore. Truly, a helish ce.


    His body descended even more, until he felt like he was submerged within a cold region. Not ordinary coldness, but a certain type of coldness that spiked one''s mentality.


    "Seems I''ve entered the domain of Helheim." Hemented, as everything became even clearer than before.


    The skeletons he previously saw, lying down with the vissitudes of time assaulting them, were walking around perfectly fine.


    The corpses as well, were going about this ce in perfect condition... Well, they were not all that fine at all.


    The skeletons would shatter each other when they met. Or throw themselves at walls, mountains, or even jump from hills to the ground.


    The corpses were rtively okay. But they were those who would freeze to death, those who would burn to death, some being boiled, some being melted, some being grinded.


    As if being an undead corpse was not enough, they experienced continous death again and again. With equal pain, and stress, as if they were still alive.


    "..."


    Damien stared down apathetically at the corpses screaming about for salvation, or at the skeletons nkering in defiance.


    Even after death, these vile brings still suffered.


    The Trait of this domain made that possible. "...I guess this truly is a domain taking the manifestation of Nond''s hell." He said to himself.


    And yes. This ce... was a natural born domain.


    Not one initiated by a god, or a higher being, but one born naturally, due to the rate of a higher energy source being abundant.

 Chapter 167 Defying Logic

    <h4>Chapter 167 Defying Logic</h4>


    Damien floated above the hellishndscape below him, unbothered by their suffering.


    "The nine wonders of Nond are not just baseless theories after all, but manifestations caused by Unique grade resources or artifacts. But even then, that will only transform a region into a pseudo-domain at most." He continued to speak to himself, his voice traveling throughout the entire domain.


    "So, one might wonder, why was Helheim a domain? Not only it, even Niflheim is a domain as well." He added, waving his hand to instantly dorn the pure ck [Death God Armament].


    The reason why these two locations were pure domains, instead of pseudo-domains, was because they held two of sixteen of humanity''s treasured resources.


    The Eve Stones.


    Godly treasures, that would be unearthed years into the future. Each Stronghold, aside from the Central Stronghold, had one of such. Some even having two of them.


    Nond being one of them.


    It had the Eve Stone of Death, that was the reason why this ce had such high leveled undeads, and why they were still somewhat alive, even after dying.


    As well as the Eve Stone of Water, that resides within the deepest crevices of Niflheim. It is the reason why the whole of Niflheim is as cold as the north poles. If not colder.


    With these two godly resources, the two ces were bound to be domains. Damien came here specifically for the two that were rted to thew of Death here.


    "With my potential, the [Death God Armament], the [Eve Stone of Death], and the [Demonic Rose Eye], which are all rted to Death... I can definitelyprehend Death faster." He thought to himself self.


    Normally, five years each percent are required toprehend the first 10% of aw, then ten years per percent toprehend the second 10%, twenty years, forty years, so on, and so forth, tillpletion.


    But the higher one''s potential was, the easier they wouldprehend thew. "And with my potential and the effect of a Stage 2 Realm, I''m sure I canprehend the next percentage within an hour. But if I were to rely on all of these..."


    He thought, first glimpsing at the functions of his Godly grade armament. One that defiedmon sense.


    [ Death God Armament ]


    [ Godly. A godly divine armament made by the me Forger, out from the following materials; fragments of death, a pseudo-unique product, undead dragon''s bone, ... ]


    [ This is a divine armament unique to those who have killed far too many beings, without any remorse for the dead. It grants one authority over the Universal Principles of Death, Murder, and War, while exempting them from the Universal Principles of Life, Judgement, and Mercy. Not even those within the 5th League dare look down upon your existence. Death Gods are unrestrained by Life, yet are not dead, nobody can Judge the Murder that theymit. They frolick where there is War, and their sins do not warrant any Mercy. Grantsplete immunity towards life and death from minor deities, and resistance to death caused by major deities ]


    [ Has the following Unique Abilities; "Divinity of Death", "Traverser of Death" and "Undead Summon" ]


    [ An ascendent achievement~ ]


    Damien read through the definition of the armament once more, as it truly was beyond mortalprehension.


    Just the passive effects alone were terrifying.


    Authority over the Principles of Death, Murder and War, meant that he could even bring death to beings of the 5th League. He could possibly murder such beings, or even cause a war between them.


    Then exemption from Life, Judgement and Mercy, meant that he was not dead, but not considered living too.


    In other words, he stood between life and death. If he chose to kill someone, not even the gods would judge his actions. They had no right to. But at the same time, if it ever came to it, he would be punished without mercy.


    Nobody would feel the need to have mercy on him. But Damien didn''t care. He did not expect himself to beg for mercy from anyone.


    But even then, this was not the reason why he doned this artifact. The reason he did so, was because of one of its abilities.


    [ Traverser of Death :- Increasesprehension of the Universal Law of Death by 25,000%, theprehension of the Universal Principle of Death by 17,500%, and the Universal Rule of Death by 7,500%. And when using death rted powers, the effects are increased by 200%, while the cost is decreased by 50% ]


    "..."


    Yes. This ability. Damien required this ability, which will increase his progress ofprehending death by two hundred and fifty times. "Meaning that I''ll take eight seconds to reach 2% of the deathw."


    And taking into consideration the fact that he will beprehending thew from a Godly artifact, the progress would be even smoother than he thought. Since the artifact was in the 5th League, it would be five times smoother.


    "Alright, let''s begin. It''s about time I perfected thew of death." He thought, closing his eyes as he began meditating.


    He began trying toprehend thew of death towards 100%. Yes, towards perfection.


    Why? You might ask?


    True, mortals had a peak of 10%prehension of aw, if they were ever lucky toprehend it. It was the same for Damien, so why was he so sure he could exceed such an absolute limit?


    [ Divinity of Death :- Divine Armaments are artifacts that grant one the role of a divine being, without altering their status or being. This ability allows you to lord over your race''s authority of death, while not being a God. As long as you''re acknowledged by the artifact, you will be recognized as the absolute ruler of death. Thus most limits will be loosened, such asw attainment progress. Also allowsprehension of Death-rted concepts up to 50-75%prehension ]


    Yes. This was why.


    Though still a half-higher being, Damien could also be considered a higher dimensional being at the level of other gods such as Flint.


    Even without wearing the Armament everyday, he could still weild over its authority. And that being the case... he could easilyprehend thew of death topletion.


    ''Best part, the Universal Law of Void is highly rted to Death. I can possibly raise it as well. Though progress will be slow.'' He thought, as deathly waves of ck essence converged towards him.


    Death. What is¨C


    2%.


    "..."


    Shock profilerated his expression, as Damien didn''t even have toprehend what death truly was, before the percentages began climbing up.


    And amidst his shock, they continued.


    3%.


    4%.


    "..."


    5%.


    6%.


    7%.


    He was silent, as he watched the percentages go up without him doing anything. Not even three seconds have gone by, and yet here he was 7% throughprehending death.


    And even then, the percentages still ascended.


    ...He was shocked, really, but he did not overthink the matter, and instead indulged in the fact that he was faster than he thought he would ascend.


    Finally, four seconds were about to sh by, and the aura of death around Damien seemed to have reached the peak it could reach for a mortal.


    9%.


    Finally, as if he had been waiting for ages, Damien counted as four seconds went by, and he finally reached 10%prehension. He suddenly felt like his body was bloated, as if it would explode any moment now.


    He had reached his limit.


    [ TING!!! ]


    [ You... are doing some crazy things for a mortal ]


    The Primordial Source couldn''t help butment, as more droves of notifications shed within his consciousness, as he continued to feel bloated.


    The feeling was ufortable, since the deathly essence continued to converge all around him in tides. Like a balloon receiving too much air. Far beyond its limits.


    It''s only fate... was to pop.


    But just as Damien was about to be overwhelmed, the sensation immediately disappeared. Andprehension continued once more.


    11%.


    12%.


    13%.


    14%.


    15%.


    Ten seconds were almost up, the difort disappeared, and Damien sighed, as he felt like this truly wouldn''t take longer than he expected.


    Maybe reaching 100%prehension for aw was easy?


    He thought, when on average, it would take normal gods 50,000 years just to perfect aw. And he was shitting on all their efforts.


    20%.


    Twelve seconds went by.


    25%.


    Twenty seconds were gone.


    40%.


    A minute finally went by.


    50%.


    Over two minutes were gone.


    70%.


    Almost ten minutes were over.


    90%.


    Half an hour quickly transpired. And then, after sixty minutes of Damien absorbing deathly essence, the aura of death around him had reached an all time high.


    99%.


    He was close to reaching perfection.


    A step he would easily reach by ranking up. As for now, even if he tried his best, nothing would happen. Not at all.


    It was impos¨C


    "No. Not this time." Damien trampled down his own thoughts, afraid that the mere mention of impossibility, would rile up his Bloodline to make it very possible.


    But did he have the time? Not at all.


    "Since I''ve still got time, let''s go through the Universal Law of Void." He sighed, choosing to change subjects.


    Averagely, it would take him a month to reach 4% without much effort. But if he truly put effort, he would take much less time.

 Chapter 168 Marquess Windsor

    <h4>Chapter 168 Marquess Windsor</h4>


    Averagely, it would take him a month to reach 4% without much effort. But if he truly put effort, he would take much less time.


    "Taking into ount everything I have... I only need half a minute for each percentage, for the first 10% ofprehension." He thought, and immediately switched to it.


    Half a minuteter, his Void Law ascended.


    5%.


    He then continued for three and half days, when the Void Law also reached 99%prehension.


    At the same time, he realized that as the Embodiment of the Void, reaching 99% even as a mortal, was possible.


    The Void was a part of him after all.


    "..."


    Once more, he ignored the notifications from The Primordial Source, and instead consolidated his foundation.


    A mortal... one who was still but a Myth, had two almost perfectedws within his arsenal. Such a feat was beyond impossible, thus why his Bloodline boiled in excitement..


    He felt strangely happy, strangely at fulfillment for his little achievement. One that was, still not enough to satisfy his blood''s desire.


    "..."


    But most importantly, his blood boiled happily due to the changes that took ce during the span of three days he was in seclusion.


    ~~~


    Two days ago.


    Avarice City.


    Within the high district region where the city lord stayed, there was a territory that was previously used for nobleman bored activities.


    ying games, watching hunting festivals, dancing, gambling, all kinds of activities that could lighten up the mood, took ce here.


    Within the territory, there was a region full of buildings, another one made up of a forest, the third consisting of a open space garden full of beauty, and thest location was where the noblemen left their coaches and carriages.


    The central area was where the reception building was located.


    This entire ce used to be owned by a family of Marquess Windsor. This establishment was open every weekend, and entry was two gold coins per person.


    Then taking into consideration the activities within, a single person might spend 150 gold coins with a single visit.


    And he received at most a thousand visitors every weekend. The money he made every time was immense. In a year, his family would amass eight million gold coins.


    Ever since they established this whole person, the Windsors have sored in status, and became one of the top five richest families within Avarice, and top ten within the whole of Shade.


    William Windsor was quite happy.


    He would never sell such a method away. A money making scheme that brings him eight million gold coins per year? Hah, he''d rather die first before he sold this.


    And yet... these brats didn''t seem to buy it.


    "...What do you say, sir Williams?" Thedy amongst them, an extremely beautiful red haireddy, spoke to him with a smile.


    "..."


    A smile so charming, he felt lost for words.


    At first, he wanted to use this establishment to tempt her into marrying his son, but after their suggestion... he threw that idea out the window.


    They were insane.


    "Look here, kids. I cannot, nor will I, sell you this territory. Firstly, the money I make is worth it. Secondly, it took us millions to build everything here. Let alone the funds we used to buy this territory, that is essible by all nobles of all kinds." He said, his tone a bit softened.


    William Windsor.


    He was a man of average height, with a bit descent charm. He had a bundle of caramel curly hair, alongside a small goatee.


    His fashion sense was perfect, and his bearing up there. But his greatest feature were his eyes, his dark purple eyes, that were a sign he was not bred within this Stronghold.


    Nay, the whole Windsor family wasn''t.


    "We hear you, sir William." The boy amongst the two spoke. He had golden blonde hair, clear blue eyes, and charm so high, just his smile alone made it annoying to look at.


    At least, for William.


    Yet still with his rxed smile, the boy continued, "The Windsor Pce makes about eight million gold per year, right? And it''s business will not fall for theing few years. At the least. Oh, and under normal circumstances, too."


    He said, his eyes shining with joy, while William''s dulled down. But he still continued, "Nobody knows how long its glory willst. What''s born, ultimately dies, after all. Same to establishments, and households."


    "Perhaps in ten years? Twenty years? Or maybe fifty? Nobody knows. But what rises up, will find its way down..." The boy said, and William''s expression sank.


    These brats.


    Were they tantly threatening him?


    The crimson haired girl then continued, "But the Windsor Pce is still standing tall and healthy for now. Full of vibrancy."


    "Which is why we would like to buy it out of your hands at a worthy price. Ten million gold per year, for thirty years. Tax free. That''s three hundred million gold coins tagged onto the Windsor family." The boy added.


    "It''s better than the worth you make every year, tax excluded." The girl followed up, the boy picking up where she left, "It''s almost 43% more than what you could make. It''s a good deal."


    "An amazing deal." Chirped the girl, before she added once more, "It''s a great offer and all, but we''d still like to hear what you think after all, oh great lord Windsor."


    All smiles, she gave the microphone to him, while the boy, all smiles as well, did not say anything.


    They just silently stared at William Windsor.


    "..."


    At the man who had an expression that seemed as if he ate dog shit. These brats... He thought, not knowing what to say.


    One was a princess. Now a representative of Romania, an entire nation.


    The other was a prince, now his current city lord.


    They came here clearly prepared to back him down in a corner. He had no choice here. Even when he knew, subconsciously, that he''d lose out with this trade.


    He had to agree.


    ''The Windsor Pce was previously estimated to stand for more than a hundred years. But with the changes urring everywhere, it might not make even ten.'' He thought to himself, considering the offer.


    Yes, consideration.


    Their offer was quite tempting. He would obtain funds worth him working and managing this shitload of work for thirty years, without doing anything at all.


    Plus, this was without tax.


    He would make ny million more gold, than normal. It was as if he would obtain enough funds rivaling him working for forty three years, instead of thirty years.


    ''Plus, I can probably start up a proper business suited for this new age, with all that money. And letting these brats buy this off without much of a haggle, will establish proper rtions between us. To add, theres the mysterious Silver household that supports them.'' He came to a conclusion, as he nodded towards Fiona and Adonis.


    "...I thought about it, and I have to agree. But, instead of ten million gold, I''d like twelve million. After all, nobody knows whether my Windsor Pce will fall before thirty years or not." He responded as such.


    He was not going to let this opportunity go, as he will benefit more from it, if he could. "As the city lord said, what if itsts for fifty years? Or a hundred? I need to... be...pensated..?"


    But as he spoke, William felt words refuse to leave his mouth, as he exchanged gazes with the two smiling before him. They had pure genuine smiles, and yet he felt chills down his spine.


    "Lord Windsor, you y too much." Fiona said with a chuckle, her mere voice unnerving William. He suddenly felt more at unease.


    And his fears were proved to have a base when Adonis continued, "I guess ten million was too much for you, sir Windsor. Our apologies. Will nine million gold per year do?"


    "Huh..?"


    "A no go? Will eight million suffice?" Fiona continued the inquiry, feigning confusion and concern.


    "Ah, huh..? N¨CNo... Ten... ten million will do. It will¨C"


    "Great!!" Adonis vibrantly nodded his head as he finalized the deal, "In that case, eight million gold, for thirty years. Ah, the tax free effect still applies. So hopefully, you make some profit." He said, a smile still on his face.


    "..."


    These brats... had no intention to buy the establishment at ten million gold!!


    William thought as such, as looking up at their happy visages, then at the young knight behind them, whose presence was quite... terrifying. William lowered his head in silence.


    He learned a new, no, two new lessons today.


    One, greed, was an enemy of mankind. Two, those in power, sure were scumbags. Him included.


    "Pleasure doing business with you, sir Williams." Adonis bid farewell as he stood up to leave. Fiona following after him.


    ''Pleasure my ass... you brats scammed me.'' But Williams thought otherwise. But he still sent the two off, professionally.


    He did not feign any smiles. He did not bother doing so during the meeting, nor when he sent them off. "Take care, your highnesses. I hope to never meet you again."


    He waved as the royal coach of Adonis left the Windsor Pce. "...I wonder why you want this ce so bad. Its poprity was already decreasing. And it might notst for twenty years toe."


    He wondered. But then gave up a momentter, as regardless, he profited from this trade. "Usually such things take time... but as the city lord, he will probably im ownership next week at the earliest."


    He sighed to himself. Luckily for him, today was a week day. Unfortunately though, he will have to notify his costumers not to bother making rounds here anymore.

 Chapter 169 The Rainbow Pavillion

    <h4>Chapter 169 The Rainbow Pavillion</h4>


    Outside of the Windsor Pce.


    Adonis and Fiona rode on the former''s royal coach, as they headed back towards his mansion. Today''s errand, being finalized.


    "Ahh~ I didn''t expect you could be so sly~" Fionamented, a yful smile resting on her face.


    "...I had no choice." Adonis sighed, avoiding to exchange eye contact with Fiona.


    He had just made a deal that would sap out two hundred forty million gold from him. And yet, he was someone whocked half a million gold, let alone that amount.


    Luckily, they could pay eight million annually.


    "At least we got off safe, didn''t we?" Inquired Fiona, trying to cheer him up.


    ording to Damien, the Windsor Pce would soon be the center of Avarice. He did not tell them why, or how, but they chose to believe him.


    That being the case, meant that the Windsor Pce wouldn''t be dying down for the next decades. And yet they bought it off cheap. Yes, to them, it was cheap.


    Even though William Windsor profited a lot from this, Adonis did not lose out much.


    From William''s perspective, he would receive eight million gold per year. Same as usual, but at the same time, not the same.


    Usually, he paid tax, which was 12,5% for nobles. It was a lot, but he had noints. Then, maintaining the territory itself, wasted more of his earnings.


    This includes the inns, the casinos, and other entertainment facilities within the west. Then the flower gardens, the fancy fountains, the shrub mazes, and other activities within the east. The makeshift forest, the animals recing those hunted, the equipment used for hunting etc, of the north.


    Just these alone would make him spend even more money. Plus, there was the fact he had to pay his thousands of workers.


    Some being rtively understandable, at a few gold per year, while others, required tens of good coins due to the nature of their work. Overall... out of eight million, Williams would only keep 50% to himself.


    In other words, if he were to work like this for thirty years, he would make 120 million which was his. And this was not factoring catering to his family''s needs and territory.


    ...If factored, he might not enjoy 10% of that amount for himself.


    But it would be different if he sold the Windsor Pce. Just obtaining 240 million gold upfront was a wild blessing.


    No tax, no paying anyone, no maintaining anything, just pure gold. All his. Even if he used half for his family and territory, he still had more than enough to start up yet another business.


    He truly did not lose out.


    As a bonus, he now has the favor of two scions from two different Strongholds, and the mysterious Silver household. That in itself, was more worthwhile for a politician.


    But as William struck big, so did Adonis.


    "We will do a bit of renovation, but the Windsor Pce will remain the same. Of course, we will change its name too. By then, I''ll establish the Void Gate there." Adonis said, Fiona listening with a smile.


    The Windsor Pce was an attraction center by nature. If they expanded it by a bit, being able to amodate thoseing in from other Strongholds, they could make a lot of money.


    Just charging them per entry, will be enough, but if they also supplied inns for resting, entertainment centres for enjoyment, gardens for sightseeing, etc, they could amass even more.


    "I see. The Void Gate will attract costumers for the Windsor Pce?" Fiona smiled in realization at Adonis scheme.


    He truly did not lose out as well.


    Even if he charged everyone a silver per entry, he could still amass three million gold a day. Then including the facilities of the Windsor Pce, that will definitely force the new entrants to explore them, would increase that amount by more than ten times.


    ''I guess he could pay off this debt in under a month, then have some more money to spend.'' Thought Fiona, as she renewed the image she had of Adonis.


    "Yes. If we establish the same establishment within Romania, where the Void Gate will be created, we can amass even more wealth together." Adonis added, his eyes zing with pure ambition.


    Why stop at one establishment?


    If he is nning on getting rich, he might as well as go all out. Any means possible, he wouldtch onto them. The Windsor Pce. The Silver Institution. He willtch into them!!


    "Hmm~" Fiona hummed with vibrancy, as the idea itself was not bad. ''Together, he says...'' She thought to himself.


    "...So, Adonis, what will you rename the establishment? It must be mboyant and attractive to all eyes, you know~" She chirped once more, her mood quite high.


    And Adonis, attributing her mood with the fact they had a way to amass more funds, responded, "I was thinking... Red and Gold Enterprise... since it''s more of apany owned by both states of Romania and Shade." He suggested.


    Gold was the new royal color of Avarice city, while Red was the royal color of Romania. The name could also imply the joint coboration between the two nations.


    "It''s not bad... but what if other nations fuse their domains with ours? What then~?" Fiona like the idea, but still pointed out an error to the naming system of the establishment.


    If Nond joined their fray, would the name change to Red and Gold and Purple Enterprise? What if the other nine Strongholds did the same too? What then?


    Would that even be possible?


    "...I see. Valid point." Adonis paused, and thought about it more. Meanwhile, Fiona just quietly appreciated the natural charm exuded by the stern Adonis with a slight smile.


    Oh, how I wish this couldst longer. She thought.


    Such peace... brought fulfillment to her life.


    "How about... the Rainbow Establishment? No, that sounds...cking." Adonis suggested, but felt embarrassed afterwards. "Maybe Rainbow Pce..? Perhaps Rainbow House... No way. I refuse that one."


    "..."


    The young man continued with his self suggestions, as Fiona also did nothing but watch. She truly loved such blissful moments.


    But she had to help him.


    No matter how cute he came off as, as his partner, she had to help him. She chuckled as she suggested, "How about the Rainbow Pavillion instead?"


    "Huh?"


    "Rainbow Pavillion. It sounds better, doesn''t it?" She repeated, her smile growing in intensity. Unfortunately Adonis took no notice of it.


    "You''re right. It does sound better than my suggestions." Adonis smiled back at her as he nodded at her words.


    "Hmph~ Who do you think I am? I am the beautiful, and creative Fiona~" She dered, raising her head high and again, unting like a baby peacock.


    "...You truly are... Mhm, you are." Adonis, defeated, nodded in agreement with her words. He was used to this by now.


    At this point in life, her narcissistic-like attitude came off as cute to him. Since he was sure she didn''t think she was that high and mighty above everyone else.


    ~~~


    Meanwhile, at the same time.


    Evening of the day.


    A young girl, who from height alone, seemed like someone who has yet toe of age, made her entrance towards one of the noble households nearby.


    She was an extremely beautiful girl, with skin a bit paler than usual, and slimmer than average. Yet her figure was a notch above even top ss models from earth.


    Her hair was pure ck, like a sea of the abyss tied into a ponytail. Her eyes as well, were like two ck holes that sucked at everyone''s attention around her.


    "..."


    She walked into the mansion of the 7th noble household of the day. The 15th considering that she went through eight households yesterday.


    She was led around by a mature woman, who wore an outfit simr to hers, maid outfits... Yes, she made this errand still in her maid attire. She had grownfortable within it.


    The two casually made their way towards the lounge, where the master of the household will carter to her.


    "Please stay here, madam. Master will shortly be on his way." The mature woman bowed down respectfully as she ushered Ninth towards the spacious lounge.


    Quite a big room, five couches, a neat table at the center, a chimney up ahead, a desk on one side, a book shelf on the other, a small kitchen deck at the far back.


    "..."


    Ninth immediately scoured the room the moment she entered, making sure there was no presences hiding in the shadows. Or any existence of traps.


    "...Thank you." She softly responded, sitting herself down on one of the couches. One that was obviously meant for the visitors.


    "Master will shortly attend to you in a few minutes. Please forgive our rudeness for keeping you here." The mature woman, the headmaid of this household, lowered her head as she spoke.


    "Mhm." Ninth nodded at that.


    She gave at most two hours max to every household she visited. And she let them know beforehand, so that by a day, she could visit seven households at the least.


    Maybe more, if she spends less time with every visit. Thus in scenarios like this, she would wait for thirty minutes, since her visit was sudden.


    But afterwards, if nobody attended to her... she wouldn''t mind causing a scene. If they dare look down on her, she wouldn''t mind fixing their postures a bit.

 Chapter 170 Encounter I

    <h4>Chapter 170 Encounter I</h4>


    "Mydy, the representative of the new city lord is here for a visit." A rather handsome middle-aged man bowed respectfully as he spoke.


    He wore a neat ck butler fit, with his tinum blonde hair neatlybed back, and his simr colored mustache brushed carefully. His blue eyes stoic and emotionless.


    "Is that so..." A beautiful woman responded to him. She wore a purple dress, that tightly held onto her figure, illustrating her charm.


    Her long slick caramel brown hair being a sign of her lineage. While her dark purple eyes staring above, reflected no emotions within as she continued her words, "The rumors were true, it seems... the new city lord really is going about unrestrained."


    Her eyes moved from staring at the ceiling, as they maneuvered towards the middle-aged man standing at the door, "Tell me Frank. What do you think? What is the young city lord up too?"


    She inquired, her voice intoxicating. Her eyes were naturally alluring, as if they attracted the desire to conquer from men and women alike. But her voice? It was extraordinary charming.


    "..."


    The middle-aged man did not say anything in response. But thedy did not seem bothered by that. Not one bit, as she responded to her own questions.


    "Is he perhaps using threats? Or attracting aid? Creating factions? Or perhaps, trying to get to know his people? I wonder..." She spoke to herself, her body still rooted onto her couch.


    She did not seem to have the intention to go out and meet the city lord''s representative. Nor did any of her siblings feel the need to do the same.


    Their elders were mostly not within the territory at this time. And even if they were, this was not their responsibility.


    It was hers. And she nned on not standing up to her position. "Since their visit is sudden, why don''t you let them know that I am busy? From rumors, they won''t spend more than two hours per visit."


    "A sign they are rushed. They probably want to cover all households within the shortest time period... So Frank, let her know I''ll be a bitte." She concluded.


    "...Yes, mydy." The middle-aged man, who knew his name to be Owen, nodded at her words, unbothered to correct her. He was not called Frank. He doesn''t know such a person.


    "If I stall for two hours, they''ll probably leave." She added, watching Owen leave her personal study with a stoic expression.


    Once he was gone, she sighed, set her gaze back onto the ceiling.


    Silence then descended within the room, and only her faint breathing could be heard. Her dark purple gaze so deep, she seemed to be able to see through the ceiling.


    Meanwhile, back to Ninth, the maturedy that guided her towards this lounge, returned about ten minutester, as she respectfully bowed in apology. "Our apologies, miss representative. The young miss of the household was unaware of the visit."


    "Thus due to ourck of information gathering, we apologize, as we will have to untimely waste a bit more of your time. The young miss is currently preparing herself, and will be in your care soon enough. We beg for your understanding." She swiftly said.


    Her head still lowered as she spoke, with Ninth nodding her word with a curt, "Mhm." As a response from her side.


    "Thank you for your grace." The headmaid stood back up, and nodded at the other servants within the room. They quickly began preparing to serve Ninth something in the meantime.


    Tea and biscuits would be ideal.


    The servants quickly went to it, as she respectfully nodded once more at Ninth, before taking her leave.


    "..."


    All the while, Ninth did not have a change of expression. Her gaze was poker, and her expression null.


    Five minutester, she was served with a tray full of snacks. Snacks of all kinds, those sweet, those a bit bitter, those sweet and bitter.


    And alongside that was a cup of tea.


    And further away, more water was being boiled in case she wanted more.


    Ninth silently appraised everyone''s actions, and quickly came to the conclusion that they were nning on stalling for time. And not just for a couple of minutes too.


    ''If they had the intentions of meeting me, one cup is more than enough.'' She thought to herself, as normally, ten minutes were more than enough to finish up a cup of tea.


    Yet they were boiling more?


    She let out a light sigh, as she dined on her food. As for poisoning? She did not believe they dared. Plus, her trained intuition hasn''t red any rms of sort to her.


    So she dug in.


    And seven minutester, she finished up her tea, and most of the snacks prepared for her.


    And seeing this, one of the maid servants came forward and curtly bowed her head, "Miss representative, would you like a refill?" She softly inquired.


    "Yes, please." Ninth responded, and the maid servant quickly did so. She fetched a small tray carrying a white pot. She then held the pot and poured tea into her cup.


    "Here you are, miss." The maid servant retreated with yet another bow, and Ninth, "Thank you." Thanked her for the service.


    Her manners rivaling those of nobledies. After all, the Gray House took serious its status. All members had expert experience to serving others, and being served.


    It was required for their proffession.


    And Ninth, truly liked such stuff. Damien and Sixth went through a lot to get her proper teachers. She could perfectly y the role of a princess, let alone a nobledy.


    Five more minutes shed by as she was submerged within her thoughts. Her snacks were finished by now, and she had refused more.


    She was not one to waste food. Especially when she remembered what she and Sixth went through before their adoption. The value of food was engraved within her being.


    Thus she chose not to bother them.


    "..."


    She apathetically stared into her cup that was almost empty. Only a third of its contents were left, ''Three more minutes, and I''ll make my move. That should be enough to finish this up... thank you for the meal.''


    Her thoughts continued, as she continued to sip into her tea. And as she did so, a suppressed presence of destion subtly sipped out of her small being.


    Every sip she took from her cup, the world around her took a sip out of her being, as a wild sense of oppression spread to everyone within the room.


    Unaware, the maid servants first felt ufortable, then groggy, their thoughts were everywhere. Then, a momentter, their world became dark.


    "..."


    And they copsed.


    Each and every one of them copsed down, not knowing what happened to them. In just a couple of seconds, they were promptly put down.


    And the ever silent Ninth, continued drinking her tea. And as she did, her presence spread out to cover more of the noble household she visited. The presence of a Grandmaster.


    No. Not just a Grandmaster, but someone close to shedding through that realm.


    In just a minute or two, her presence covered the whole of the mansion. And everyone, be it those in the First League or Second League, felt a sudden wave of pressure assault them.


    Let alone those below that, who immediately fainted. Those in the First League felt it difficult to breathe, move or even think, depending on how low their realm was.


    While those in the Second League, Masters felt as if they were submerged within quicksand. Moving was possible, yet difficult.


    Great Masters felt a bit lightheaded, but overally alright. Meanwhile, the only two Grandmasters avable...


    "Hmm... It seems we have angered our little representative." The nobledy wearing a dark purple dressmented to herself, as if the matter was unrted to her.


    "..."


    Meanwhile, Owen, sighed to himself.


    He was unaffected by the aura of yet another Grand Master bearing down on him. But just this little experience, told him of their chances of winning if they fought.


    Less than 30%.


    And that was when both of them, himself and thedy before him, attacked at the same time. Otherwise, one on one...


    "..."


    He did not say anything, and just waited for his madam to make a decision. What will she do, now that she''s already poked the ho''s nest.


    "...Oh well, might as well meet them." She thought, already uplifting herself from her couch. "And if I''m going to entertain the city lord, might as well benefit more from it."


    She added, taking her leave.


    "..."


    Owen sighed to himself, as he chose to follow after her. Being special born children must be nice. They were at the same realm, yet he still felt at a disadvantage against thisss.


    If Damien had limitless potential, and inhuman strength as a special born child, while Loptr was a living vault of misfortune... then what of her?


    She was known as Cecilia Windsor, the wisdom personified, and one of the many underworld "deities". Powerful beings who had the underworld stressing about their existence.


    Though not one of the important influential underworld figures, but if you included her two brothers born with her too?


    All three were quite a terrific force.

 Chapter 171 Encounter II

    <h4>Chapter 171 Encounter II</h4>


    <Will of Penumbra>


    A powerful ss Ability that allows the user to gain the senses of any source of darkness or shadows around them, as eyes, nose, and even as their body.


    As long as there were shadows or darkness around the user, they could see it all, hear it all, or possibly arise from death through those shadows, or darkness.


    "..."


    And Ninth, who had a Hidden ss, used said ability just moments ago.


    She used it under the reservation of her Grandmaster presence, and only used the "darkness" property of effect.


    Through the fear that instantly rose when everyone felt her presence, she used this ability to pull at the darkness hidden within those fears. Fears, that immediately rendered those weak unconscious.


    While the strong, still fought back a bit.


    Had she used its full effect, considering her Realm and Hidden ss Ability effect, nobody would have remained standing.


    Nobody... but another Grandmaster Professionist, who like Loptr, was chosen by their ss.


    sses that weren''t within the selection of The Primordial Source, as they already chose their owners. They had only waited for a tform that will allow them to reveal themselves.


    [ Epitome of Wisdom (HIDDEN) ]


    [ Introduction: The Providence of one who will be the very vaults of wisdom and knowledge of Existence. An entity that knows it all, that can teach anything within the limits of existence. One whose wisdom gives birth to evolution and progress. To be the very Embodiment of Existence''s Future ]


    [ Potential: Unrivaled Potential that stretches to cover the whole of Existence, and possibly transcend all Restrictions, Rules and Mandates of Existence and shine over all that are below. To be the Sage that knows the whole of Existence, and teacher of numerous Supremes ]


    [ ss Bonuses: +1 SP to STR, AGI, END, and +2 INT, WIS and AFF every level up, +8 Free SP every level up, +8 AP every level up, +700% Life Essence required to Level up, +120% to Mana every level up ]


    [ ss Skills: "Wisdom of Sages", "All-Purpose Instructor", "nk Page", "Trial of Knowledge", "The Akashic Records" ]


    [ Comment: A ss that ultimately reigns Supreme above Existence, and knows it all. The Aspect of Wisdom. Yet where there is Knowledge, there is Ignorance. Where there is Wisdom, there is... Lunacy ]


    <Wisdom of Sages>


    <Will of Penumbra>


    Two almostplimentary ss Abilities, thatplimented each other, yet also restricted one another pretty well.


    One allowed the user to gain the knowledge of beings that she hade into contact with. This including herself.


    She can be aware of most of their secrets, their past, their present, and a hint of their future. The weaker the targets, the higher the effects. Included but not limited to, weakness detection, personality deciphering, goal awareness etc.


    She can have all said knowledge.


    This was what the <Wisdom of Sages> bestowed. Meanwhile, the <Will of Penumbra> was a bit different.


    It could ess the deepest secrets within the target, including but not limited to secrets hidden in the dark, past traumas, deepest fears, highest insecurities etc.


    Just by tapping into any of these discoveries, the user could manipte them to their liking, to affect the targets.


    Exposing their deepest secrets. Awakening their past traumas. Inducing their deepest fears. Enhancing their insecurities. And many more.


    As long as you had any inkling of darkness or negativity within your heart, the ss Ability could easily affect you. More so if you had no control over said weaknesses.


    "..."


    Yet as the activator of <Wisdom of Sages>, the dark purple-eyeddy, Cecilia Windsor, had targeted herself.


    She gained insights into her future. And seeing the darkness that unfurled, she chose to obtain all the knowledge about her inner darkness.


    Her fears, her insecurities, her traumas, her dark secrets. She essed them, deciphered them, rationalized them, concluded them, and came to terms with herself.


    Right now... she had no fears. Those were illusory feelings of danger, difort or impending signs of harming for her.


    Yet she knew she was absolutely safe.


    She had no insecurities. Problems caused by anxiety or low confidence within herself. She had none.


    She was confident in herself, and her path.


    She had no traumas.


    No dark secrets.


    She was apletely nk page in front Ninth. More so, as she activated yet another ss Ability, <nk Page>.


    An ability that erased anything about her. Her mysteries, her past, her present, her future, her identity, everything. Right now, she was just an empty page personified.


    Thus Ninth couldn''t target her. But she was also free from Cecelia''s grasp. Everything about her, every tiny detail, was hidden within a sea of bottomless darkness.


    Not even Cecilia could gaze through it.


    "Our apologies for keeping you waiting, miss representative." Cecilia apologized with a light bow, not filtering the unconscious maids littered around the room, in her eyes.


    "...No, my apologies, foring unannounced." Ninth fixed her posture and responded instead. Her nerves perturbed.


    As a child who has yet toe of age, she disliked dealing with adults. Especially those like this one. It proved quite bothersome.


    And even if she was smarter than her peers, as she could pretend to be 18 to 21 years old. Yet Cecilia before her, was a woman within her mid thirties. An experienced one at that.


    "No. It is alright. We all made it in the end." Cecelia said with a smile, taking the spot right before Ninth. The couch facing hers.


    "Indeed." Ninth nodded, still focusing intently on Cecilia, who in turn, also had her eyes on Ninth.


    "..."


    "..."


    The twodies... knew each other.


    Codename, Shadow of Gray.


    Codename, The Abyss Gazer.


    Two influential underground individuals. One famous for her 100% assassination ratings, and the other famous for her knowledge of almost all underground figures.


    "So, what do we owe the city lord such blessings?" Cecilia continued, not inquiring why such a monster was working for the city lord.


    "Yes, about that. Here is the thing..." Not being emotional, Ninth began briefing Cecilia up on what Adonis told her. Her mission of visiting all noble households.


    Searching for citizens with Time rted sses, or Abilities.


    Searching for citizens with Space rted sses, or Abilities.


    Cecilia listened intently, as Ninth continued, mentioning the rewards as well. ''Space? Time? I wonder what the new city lord is up to...'' She wondered, her curiosity piqued.


    Hidden sses had almost no limits. Almost. But that was applicable once you''ve be powerful enough.


    Currently, as a mere Grandmaster, Cecilia had many conditionsyered onto her ss Abilities. All mortals with high grade sses faced such limitations.


    One of them, for her, was toe into contact with her targets to gain knowledge about them. Thus why she was clueless about a lot of things.


    Despite her ss'' nature.


    "I see." She ultimately nodded, wondering how her brother''s meeting with the new city lord went, "In that case, we agree to his highness'' words. We are more than willing to lend a help."


    She added, her dark purple eyes staring deeply into Ninth, making her feel ufortable. "In that case, I thank you on the city lord''s behalf."


    She said, standing up to leave.


    She still had tens of households to visit. So she did not have any time to spare. Cecelia also understood this.


    "Mhm. Safe travels." She said, not bothering to show Ninth out.


    "..."


    Ninth slightly bowed in farewell, and left the mansion. On her way out, she stepped into the shadows of a pir, and disappeared out of view.


    And not even a few seconds after she was gone, did Cecilia open her mouth, "Are you wondering why I easily let her go?" She thoughtlessly inquired.


    Slumping down onto the couch she sat on, she sprawled all over it without a care for her manners. And Owen... had nothing to say to that.


    "..."


    Not minding his silence, Cecilia continued, "Strength aside, it should be child''s y for me to win a battle of wits with her. But I didn''t."


    She spoke to herself, her gaze moving up to the empty white ceiling again. "...If I do, and she reports me to her seniors, that sis-con will obviouslye for my head."


    "But that aside, it''s useless to stop her. I''m sure you, yourself know why. Right, Alfred?" She threw an inquiry at him, and once more, silence was her only response.


    "..."


    For Owen, did not know whom she was talking to. He knew no Alfred.


    But he did understand what she meant.


    Ninth''s endeavor... was for naught. Cecilia realized it, Ninth obviously knew about it, and even the young city lord probably knew about it.


    Nobles were highly opportunistic beings. The moment you showed them that you desperately needed something, they''ll do their very best to obtain it first... so they benefit greatly from giving it to you.


    What Ninth was doing, would probably rile up these nobles into searching for these people the city lords needs. And then... use them as chips to benefit out of the city lord. Even a plebian like himself knew this.


    Let alone a royal like Adonis.


    "Something... is telling me that this young city lord, is about to y a bunch of old experienced fools. How? I don''t know, but it''s not impossible." Cecilia thoughtlessly added, a smile on her lips.


    One so out of ce, it brought out an eldritch charm out of her. Yet her beauty still remained.


    The beauty of the Abyss Gazer.

 Chapter 172 Domain Characteristics I

    <h4>Chapter 172 Domain Characteristics I</h4>


    Later that night.


    Adonis'' royal coach finally made it back to his residence, where he and Fiona alighted.


    "I guess we will call it a night." Fiona said, as Adonis extended his hand to help her alight off the royal coach. She happily took his hand and helped herself down.


    "Yes. It''s alreadyte." Adonis agreed with her, a casual smile stered on his handsome face.


    And seeing how attractive he was tonight, Fiona couldn''t help but tease him before they parted ways, "It''s unfortunate that today we won''t be able to bond throughout the night." She said.


    And covering her mouth with her hands, she hid the yful smile and the slight blush she had. But though embarrassing, it was worth it.


    "..."


    Because Adonis reaction, was to her liking.


    The young man, though used to her teasing nature, still felt his face burn at the imagination of her words.


    Sure, they spend almost every night together. But that was business. They talked business, and only business. Nothing too intricate happened between the two of them!!


    "Well, have a goodnight." Fiona, overwhelmed by her embarrassment, immediately hurried off.


    The maids assigned to her, hurrying off after her. Of course, they respectfully bowed to their lord before they left.


    ''Oh my god...'' She thought, not being able to forget the way Adonis stared at her. ''He... He definitely imagined it..!!''


    For some reason, the fact that she knew he did, got her excited. She did not understand why, but she also did not dislike the feeling.


    Meanwhile, Adonis stared in stupor at her back as she left. ming himself for having such thoughts about someone so cute and innocent, he sighed and went towards his study.


    "..."


    Along the way, he reviewed the notifications that suddenly came from The Primordial Source, when the two domains finally settled down.


    He had not entertained them much back then, but now that he had plenty time, he did.


    [ Congrattions, domain lord Adonis, domain lord Fiona, your domains have finally stabilized themselves ]


    [ A profileration of Mana and Universal Essence has burst forth within both territories. And due to the fusion, Avarice will share one characteristic that will also be within Romania ]


    [ Avarice has the following three deific characteristics :- The Divine Neem(High-grade Tier 4), Avarice Stone(Mid-grade Tier 4), All-Natural Zone(Low-grade Tier 4) ]


    [ The shared characteristic of both Domains is :- Ethereal Farnds(Low-grade Tier 5) ]


    He reviewed the notifications that came as soon as the domain of Avarice fused with that of Romania, a few days back.


    And going through them, he opened the definitions of the deific traits that Avarice had. As well as what benefits they came with.


    [ All-Natural Zone (Low-grade Tier 4) ]


    [ Definition :- Lakes of pure condensed natural essences can now naturally form within Avarice. Thesekes are condensed through all sixteen naturalws of the world, thus making thempatible for for all living beings, gods and mortals alike... All-Natural Zones grow in ces with high Providence. The higher the Providence, the greater the quantity and quality of the Zone ]


    [ Effect I :- The All-Natural Zone has the capability to increase Mana absorption by 500% once one is exposed to it. Meditating within its range increases Manaprehension greatly, but encasing oneself within, increaseswprehension by 200% ]


    "...This is..." Adonis marveled at the information presented before him, as he threw himself onto his chair.


    A Natural Zone.


    He did not know anything about these concepts, but just reading through its definition, made it all the more amazing.


    Especially so, as it waspatible for both mortals and gods. And was also created from all sixteen naturalws. ''It''s like my domain, that''s made up of all sixteenws.'' He thought to himself in wonder.


    Damien did mention this to him, so he did not forget it. And aside from that, just its effects alone were stupendous.


    "This effect is amazing." Adonis marveled, as thewprehension boost aside, just the Mana boost alone was well epted.


    Increasing the Mana absorbed by five times, was too much of a boost for anyone. Especially those with lower ranked sses or lower potential.


    If Juliette were here, she would also marvel at this function, as it rivaled using a Unique grade Mana absorption, or Mana breathing method.


    "Unfortunately, I am stillcking in knowledge. I don''t know much about Providence, nor how to increase it... so it might be hard to benefit from? this by myself." Sighing to himself, Adonis moved on to the second characteristic.


    [ Avarice Stone (Mid-grade Tier 4) ]


    [ Definition :- A byproduct of the more intricate Cryz Stone. The Stone of Avarice is a mini ckholepressed, and molded into a stone. Itcks the weight and density of a ckhole, but contains some of its properties... A Greed Vein where there is high concentration of Mana will be born underground, where Avarice Stones of varying quality will be mined ]


    [ Effect I :- When enough Avarice Stones have been collected, they can be merged to create a pocket dimension that can even trap at most minor gods. The dimension is bottomless, with gravity that is a million times denser than the physiology of the target, pressing them down at every second ]


    [ Effect II :- Can extract Skills, Abilities, Techniques, Spells or even Divine powers, to allow others the chance to gain insight by meditating through the Stones. With enough insight, one can obtain the Skill, Ability, Technique, Spell or Divine power stored within ]


    "..."


    Adonis was speechless.


    Yes, speechless.


    "Just the definition alone, was too grand an exnation to simply pass by." He thought.


    A ckholepressed and shaped into a stone? Wasn''t that terrific enough? And yet it had so many effects it came with.


    And all of these effects were amazing.


    The ability to create pocket dimensions to trap beings within, giving them little chance to escape. Wasn''t that domineering?


    The ability to create inheritances, where people could learn essential Skills or Abilities or Spells or Techniques, with less effort.


    All of these effects, were all within one characteristic. Excited, Adonis couldn''t help sitting up straight to read more of the characteristics he had.


    And he was not disappointed.


    [ Divine Neem (High-grade Tier 4) ]


    [ Definition :- A divine tree that is exclusive to your domain. A tree that can grow as tall as a mile, and as a thick as fifty meters, with its density surpassing that of worlds ]


    [ Effect I :- The golden syrup of the Divine Neem, extracted and purified from its leaves, can extend lifespan by drinking from it. Every 100ml can increase a year of lifespan. Drinking enough golden syrup of the Divine Neem, can bestow eternal youth onto a mortal, or make deities truly immortal. The higher one''s potential, the more they can drink.. Produces (30¡Á49)ml of golden syrup a day ]


    [ Effect II :- The branches of the Divine Neem rival Tier 1 to Tier 3 high grade materials in terms of energy quantity and quality, density and strength. The higher the branches, the stronger and better they will be... Restores 10cm of the torn branch every (365¡Â49) days ]


    [ Effect III :- Within a range of one thousand miles of the Divine Neem, the growth rate of nts will increase exponentially by 1,000% ]


    "..."


    Adonis was now numb to shock, as without waiting for even a second, his focus immediately horned into the true effects of this characteristic.


    Health, longevity, high grade materials, eternal youth and even increased nt reproductivity?!


    There was no need to dig deeper into these effects, and what benefit they had on him, on Avarice and on humanity as whole.


    "..."


    He did not go through them, as instead, he quickly called out the definition of thest characteristic. One shared between both Romania and Avarice.


    And one thatplimented the Divine Neem''sst effect.


    [ Ethereal Farnds (Low-grade Tier 5) ]


    [ Definition :- Ethereal Zones are territories that are far beyond the naturalws, as they pull upon the influence of more than just the natural concepts, but even from the other concepts making up Reality ]


    [ Effect I :- With its stage, can cover up an area of 20 million square miles. But the shorter the range, the greater the effects. Half the range, equals double the other effects. A tenth of the range, equals ten times the effects ]


    [ Effect II :- Anything nted within the Ethereal Farnds, will grow at a minimum rate of 1,000% than normal. If a nt requires ten years to mature, it will mature in a year. With the Realm Stage Time Dtion Effect, the nt will mature in just a week''s worth of time ]


    [ Effect III :- The range of the Ethereal Farnds can be separated into fields of 10*10 square miles, where a single type of resource can be nted. The field will automatically transform to fit the natural growthndscape of the chosen resource, altering the geographicalndscape and temperature of chosen fields ]


    [ Effect IV :- Anything nted within the Ethereal Fields have the ability to birth "Ethereal Seeds". The lower the tier, the lesser the effects, the higher the tier, the greater the effects. The lowest level "Ethereal Seed" can permanently increase all three aspects of a person by 10%... People can have as many "Ethereal Seeds" as their potential meter dictates ]

 Chapter 173 Domain Characteristics II

    <h4>Chapter 173 Domain Characteristics II</h4>


    "Amazing..!!" Adonis couldn''t help but exim in amazement, as he subconsciously stood up from his chair.


    This was... too much.


    Forget everything, just this characteristic alone, paired with the Divine Neem, would create a devastatingbination.


    "Especially thest effect. I might not know what the three aspects are, but if I nt the Divine Neem, how promising would the seeds be?" He wondered in excitement, as he sat back down.


    To add, Damien had given him and Fiona a lot of high grade resources. Six types of Tier 1, three types of Tier 2, and a single Tier 3 resources as part of their starter pack.


    For him, it were: Hazel Dill(Low-grade Tier 1), North Devil Iris(Mid-grade Tier 1), Blue de Grass(Low-grade Tier 1), Red Anjour(Mid-grade Tier 1), Sweet Bitter Ap(Mid-grade Tier 1), Green God nt(High-grade Tier 1), Frivolous Sage Herb(Low-grade Tier 2), Illusory Misty Daisies(Mid-grade Tier 2), Atomic Plums(High-grade Tier 2) and Celestial Divine Mint(Mid-grade Tier 3).


    These were ten resources he obtained as a gift to him, in bing a city lord. Some were herbs, some nts, some fruits, some vegetables... all unique to this world.


    They obtained ten batches of each, with each batch containing a hundred within. Thus he currently had 10,000 resources they could snder on themselves.


    "I had no way of dealing with them before, since some required different regions to prosper. Like the North Devil Iris, it needs extreme cold regions. Or the Red Anjour, which needs forest regions." Adonis sighed thinking back to the past.


    He had yet to use any of these resources, keeping them in his storage bag, where time was static. He did so, because without a means to rent the seeds, these resources were only of one-time value.


    And he, needed something that could not only benefit him, but the whole of Avarice. And possibly, the Shade Stronghold too.


    Meanwhile, Fiona had used a few.


    Strangely, she would peel the fruits for him during theirte night conversations, or take out special herbs and vegetables for his personal chefs to pop out a decent meal for him.


    He didn''t understand why she would do so, but it didn''t matter. Her behavior was cute to him, so he did not stress himself over it.


    "And now that one problem seems to be resolved. That''s one burden off my shoulders." Hey back as he thought to himself.


    With the third effect of the Ethereal Farnds, this problem was as good as gone. And with the arrival of his sister, Adriana Adams, tomorrow, another problem may be solved.


    "...I guess I should rest for now." He thought out loud, not bothering to stress himself about it at the moment.


    And as he had those thoughts, he immediately went back towards his room. With Fiona at her room, Ninth outside, and Sixth nowhere to be found, he had no difficulty falling asleep.


    And just like that, the night shed by.


    The next day arrived, a day before Damien concluded his little activity of defyiny logic.


    Adonis woke up to a letter from his sister iming that she would bete by a few days.


    "..."


    Sitting up atop his bed, Adonis couldn''t help but sigh to himself. ''I guess I''ll have to just wait a bit longer then.'' He mused to himself.


    Afterwards, he stood up, and the two maids that came to attend him, helped undress him. They were also the ones who brought him the letter as soon as he woke up.


    One undressed him, while the other heated the water of his personal bath.


    Momentster, they took ahold of his bedtime attire, bowed, and left.


    "..."


    Adonis had no qualms of being helped with being undressed and dressed, he was used to it. But bathing?


    He preferred to do that himself.


    ''Well, I mostly spent tens of minutes just submerging myself in water. If my maids were toe, I''d waste their time.'' He thought to himself, entering the room connected to his bedroom.


    The mansion of the city lord was highly advanced. The more important rooms, had their own personal bathrooms within, a mini kitchen with snacks carefully stored, and a living roombined with arge balcony.


    Whether he chose to sit in the living room, or at the balcony, he could easily gaze outside, and into arge portion of the royal district of Avarice.


    And these were all his. There were other rooms, living rooms, kitchens, that were essible by others, such as the servants and guests.


    "My room alone is like a mini house... If I so desire, I can spend weeks locked up in here." He thought to himself, rxing within the bath.


    But of course, that was impossible.


    As the city lord, he had a lot to do. Avarice was not small, and all of it, was his responsibility. Plus, he had to attend to Fiona, and the everchanging environment.


    "...Being a lord in these times is actually harder than I thought." He chuckled to himself, thinking back to all his ns, and goals.


    Ever since he obtained this position, peace has been but a fleeting dream to him. And it hasn''t even been a couple of months since he became the lord of Avarice.


    ''If it wasn''t for lord Damien...'' He sighed to himself, staring up at the ceiling in thought.


    His charm was unexpectedly enhanced, as his wet blonde hair gave him a sensual charm, alongside his now slightly-toned body, and his blue eyes staring up in thought.


    Such a beautiful rare scene. A picturesque scenery of the young city lord at his most vulnerable.


    Unfortunately, it wouldn''tst long, as a knock resounded throughout his room, bringing his attention back to world.


    "Hey Adonis, pardon my intrusion. I knocked a few times at your door but to no avail, so I let myself in. Hehe, my apologies, butdy Juliette has invited us to the construction site of the Silver Institution, and I thought to let you." Fiona''s voice followed after.


    ''Knowing you, you''d spent an hour in there.'' She added in her thoughts, before adding out loud, "I will be waiting for you at the lounge to have breakfast. Today, I told the chef to make us your favorite meal. You''re wee~"


    Jubnt, she left raising her chin up. ''There is no need for you to praise me, Adonis. I know I am the best.'' She thought to herself.


    She had the image of Adonis thanking her in his mind, for being so thoughtful. But in reality, the young man was still frozen shocked from what just took ce.


    ''You know, miss Fiona... it''s not okay to enter a man''s room when he''s taking a bath.'' He sighed in exasperation, already imagining her response.


    You wouldn''t do anything to me, would you, lord Adonis~


    "..."


    Yup, she would respond in that manner. And he still wasn''t sure how to feel about it. Her teasing was well epted, but, can she just rx a bit?


    Was he really that harmless?


    ''Am I... not manly enough?'' He thought in self-disappointment.


    With that, he ended his bath earlier than usual. There was no practice today, as he was expecting his sister and Sixth was absent, so he had a lot of time.


    It was still seven in the morning. He got out of his room, neatly dressed himself, and went towards the lounge to meet up with Fiona.


    And from there, the duo went to the dining room, and had a well deserved breakfast. Just the two of them, once more, Fiona treating him.


    Afterwards, they both went out with the royal coach towards the outer city. ''It should take us three or so hours to arrive. Thus we will be an hour earlier than the meet up time.'' Adonis thought to himself.


    Juliette told them to meet her at the construction site at twelve in the afternoon, and now was around eight in the morning. They had enough time.


    "So, Adonis, what do you think Juliette wants from us?" Fiona inquired as the two of them sat staring at each other within his royal coach.


    Like usual, Fiona wore a fiery red dress. But due to the season, her dress was only knee length, and had rose patterns on both sides, making her all the more adorable.


    Meanwhile, like usual as well, Adonis wore long ck trousers, a in white shirt that he pulled the sleeves up to his elbows, as well as a ck waistcoat over his shirt.


    They were both stunning as usual.


    "I... am not sure. I cannot guess the intention of those two behemoths." Adonis shook his head clueless. If anything, the Silver couple were aplete mystery.


    "I know, right?" Fiona also sighed to herself, as she thought back to the absolutely stunning Juliette.


    And thinking back, she couldn''t help but smile slightly, looking forward to seeing her friend, sh idol. After all, they were both the same age.


    "..."


    Adonis saw her smile, and couldn''t help but smile himself.

 Chapter 174 Draft of Th3 Silver Institution

    <h4>Chapter 174 Draft of Th3 Silver Institution</h4>


    From there, the two of them silently appreciated the beauty of the territories they passed through as they went outside the city''s influence.


    Cities... were quite unique in this age.


    As said, a city with tens of millions of individuals had the right to be called a nation. And thus, to properly manage it, it was separated into regions that are ruled by nobles.


    But for these territories to be considered a single city, meant that they were not that far away from each other.


    In fact, the distance between each territory, was less than half an hour away by carriage. When speeding, it was less than ten minutes.


    And as each territory was different, being unique, the whole city felt fresh. Fiona couldn''t help but marvel as they went through territory after territory under the noble''s rule.


    And the people also marveled as the royal coach of Avarice sped past them within the streets.


    Of course, being alerted before hand, the streets were emptied, with manymoners crowded on the sides as they watched in awe.


    Meanwhile, the nobles were rxed. Without a deration of visit beforehand, even Adonis had no right to suddenly barge into their territories.


    Thus, seeing the royal coach speed by, they knew that he was only passing by. So they did not bother preparing to wee him, or panic about any of their businesses.


    "..."


    Soon enough, the royal coach went through a couple of territories before arriving at the border territories located at the edge of Avarice.


    From here, the royal coach would travel for more than an hour west of Avarice, towards the construction site.


    "Haah, the journey will be boring from now on." Fionamented, as from here to the construction site, was a vast in that stretched forth for long distances.


    "Hehehe..." Adonis awkwardly chuckled to himself, as he suddenly felt like Fiona would focus solely onto him now.


    "..."


    And indeed, the crimson haired beautiful princess set her eyes on him as soon as she heard his chuckle.


    And to his expectations, she smiled seeing his nervousness. Another opportunity represented itself to her!!


    ''Come lord Adonis, let us have fun getting to know each other more~'' She thought, her eyes smiling along with her.


    "..."


    Meanwhile, Adonis sighed to himself. This ride... will be an arduous one for him. He set his eyes on Fiona, and just so happened to see her jubnt mood ascend.


    ''...Yeah.'' He totally sumbed to his fate.


    At the same time, far ahead of them, within the construction site, the atmosphere today was a bit too active.


    Within therge region that had giant pirs stretch hundreds of meters towards the skies, creating a skeletal structure of a behemoth, was sorounded by sweaty men and women going about here and there.


    The noise being unique, rivaling the busiest areas of noble territories, the market ce or the CBD zone.


    And within this ce, a single flower that stood out, oversaw the whole construction site.


    With a pure white robe covering her whole body, that contrasted the blue attire of the workers, and arge white sunny hat over her head, she stood there with a smile.


    Her silver-ck hair dancing under the gentle breeze of the area, with her heterochromic ck and blue eyes surveying the giant metallic pirs nted onto the ground.


    "Hmm~" She silently gazed up at the skeletal figure of what her husband-to-be, was nning on creating.


    So far, the skeletal figure only constituted of the firstyer, which was three hundred and fifty meters wide on all sides.


    After staring at Damien''s n, she ultimately convinced him not to build five towers, but instead one at the center, where they will use to build a city around it.


    Theyer above, will be 20% smaller than the one below. Thus ultimately, the highestyer will still be fifty meters wide regardless.


    And as she proposed to use the firstyer as the amodation center for the future learners, it''s wide size would allow for more learners.


    ''Even if each room was 8*8 square meters, we could still have a total of almost 2,000 rooms. Then, if we squeeze in two students in each, that''s almost 4,000 learners in total...'' She thought to herself, as her eyes surveyed the construction progress.


    ''But for a nation of 250+ million individuals, that''s too few, isn''t it?'' She further thought, a frown appearing on her face.


    "..."


    But after a moment of thought, she remembered that learners would be separated into three grades. Those in the First League would be "Bronze Students", and considered just the bottom rung. They will stay in pairs of two.


    Those in the Second League would be considered "Silver Students", which are the middle group. They will also stay in pairs, but one a student, and the other a personal servant assigned to them.


    And finally, the "Gold Students", which are quite high on the apparatus. They were also those in the Third League. And will stay by themselves, with a minimum number of two servants at the same stage.


    And each of these three grades were divided into three categories, One Star, Two Stars, and Three Stars, to show which realm you were at each student category.


    "He also said the first threeyers will be directed to each student category. The lowest being the Bronze Amodation Centre, while the thirdyer will be the Gold Amodation Centre... This way, we can have more students." Her thoughts continued.


    A maximum of ten thousand students.


    With this, they could finally squeeze in ten thousand students within the Institution. The personal servants being included as well.


    "..."


    Meaning that one in over 25+ thousand beings would be eligible to attend the Silver Institution, which was not bad, truthfully speaking.


    "Hmm... I can also increase the size of each individualyer from within. If I obtain Space mastery, I can probably increase it by twenty times at my current level." She sighed to herself.


    With the size increased, each student amodation centre could have its own cafeteria, their own rxing rooms, training rooms, etc.


    As for increasing the quotation of students?


    Juliette was fine with this much. One in over twenty-five thousand people still showed how much rare it would be to enter her Institution.


    "Plus, it''s not like we are going to be teachingmon knowledge here." She added, a sigh escaping her lips.


    And just as she was about to continue nning more anout their dream, a well dressed person came behind her and respectfully greeted her. "Lady Silver, his highness, sir Adonis, and her highness,dy Fiona, have arrived."


    She said, and Juliette nodded in understanding. "Alright, let us go meet up with them then." Then added a momentter.


    "Should I not usher them here instead, mydy? Since you will be returning to this very location anyway." The maidservant in a ck and white, mostly white, maid outfit, suggested.


    She was one of the maids working within the Silver mansion. And one close to Juliette as well. A part time personal maid if you may.


    "Oh." And realizing such, Juliette nkly nodded her head. "You''re right Sasha. Please escort them this side, I''ll wait." She added with a smile.


    "Yes, mydy." Thedy called Sasha nodded, and left. She was one of the most talented warriors of the Silver mansion. And also the shadow of Juliette.


    Though not as talented as members of the Gray House, she was not bad. And gaining teachings from Sixth, Ninth and Damien himself, made her a terrifying force to reckon with.


    Hell, even Juliette taught her about the weaknesses of mages and spell casters. In essence, Sasha was quite the force.


    Assassination. Battle. Information gathering. Scouting. In such a short time, she was advanced in all said areas.


    "...Such a talent. Did Damien pick her because he knew something about her?" Juliette thought to herself, as she immediately cleared out her thoughts about the Silver Institution.


    With her guests here, it was time to focus on what was more important.


    Luckily, she did not have to wait for long, as Sasha returned with both Adonis and Fiona in tow, both admiring the skeletal structure of the to be Silver Institution.


    But as soon as Fiona saw her extremely lucky friend, she immediately bloomed into a jubnt rose that dashed towards her.


    "Juliette..!!" She called out happily.


    "Fifi." Juliette also responded in joy, as she caught the rushing Fiona into her embrace.


    One red, one white. A fiesty rose, and a gentle lily.


    The sorounding workers couldn''t help but pause what they were doing, just to appreciate the beauty of the two youngdies embracing each other.


    But momentster, feeling the cold re of their supervisor, Emily, they hurriedly went back to work. ''Lazy bastards. You don''t even stand a chance, so why bother?'' She wondered to herself.


    Yes, Juliette was an extremely beautiful girl, way out of this world. But there was Damien, an equally handsome man out of this world.


    As for Fiona, though she paledpared to Juliette, she was an extremely beautiful girl herself. Yet when looking at the young man she came with...


    ''Yup. You bastards don''t stand a chance.'' She concluded, focusing back on work.

 Chapter 175 I Want To Show Off~

    <h4>Chapter 175 I Want To Show Off~</h4>


    Meanwhile, Fiona ultimately left Juliette''s embrace, and held her hands instead. "Juliette, its been a while~" She happily chimed.


    "It indeed has. I''m d you are taking good care of yourself, Fifi." Juliette responded.


    "Hm? What do you mean?"


    "I mean you look prettier thanst time. It shows that you took good care of yourself." Juliette happily exined, all smiles.


    "O¨COf course, I mean, it''s me we are talking about." Fiona, though abashed, proudly lifted her chin as she dered.


    "Yes yes." Juliette chuckled at her behavior. They were both the same age, and yet Juliette felt like she was the older sister of Fiona. ''Is it because Damien treats her like a little sister?'' She wondered.


    As his self-proimed wife, then automatically, Fiona was a "little sister" to her too... right?


    "Good afternoon, your highness." She greeted Adonis, who stood aside like a mannequin as the two girls bonded.


    "Hm? Ah, good afternoondy Juliette." Adonis respectfully greeted back, then, like the man he was, immediately jumped straight to business, "So, might I ask why you called us out?"


    He inquired, causing all threedies to look at him with varying gazes.


    ''As expected of a man, straight to business.''


    ''No greetings?''


    ''So this is the new city lord? He''s quite... straightforward.''


    From Juliette to Fiona, then to Sasha, all threedies thought at the same time. And being the focus of their gazes, Adonis felt strange.


    "Did... Did I say something strange?" He inquired.


    "Not at all, your highness." Juliette sighed, but then decided to respond to his question, ''I did call them here out of the blue, after all.''


    "...Sorry to call you out so suddenly, I just wanted to show off a bit." She said, after a minute of sorting out her thoughts. A response she saw no problem within.


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    But all three, Sasha included, were left speechless in shock.


    "Hm? Did I say something wrong?" Juliette looked at their expressions and repeated what Adonis said when he received the same gazes.


    "Ah, no. I just think we misheard you." Fiona responded, and Juliette nodded, as she magnanimously repeated herself, "You are all here because I want to show off."


    She said, and once more, received the same gazes. "...Anyway, while you digest that, I want to show you something."


    She added, a yful smile on her face.


    And seeing her smile, Fiona and Sasha finally realized that they were yed with. While Adonis, remained unaffected.


    Juliette then chuckled as she walked towards one of the metallic pirs, that was connected to the skeletal structure of the Institution. Her steps light and airy.


    "..."


    "..."


    Fiona and Adonis intently watched her walk.


    They knew very well not to look down on any of the Silvers. Their strength, realm, knowledge, or mystery, superceded anyone they have met since birth till now.


    "..."


    Even Sasha watched as her master did her work. None of the servants of Silver would ever grow tired of watching the miracles of their masters.


    "..."


    Emily, one of the many supervisors of this project, also paused her supervision as she stared. She was curious what this fairy-like woman had in store for them.


    "Hey guys~ Thank you for your hard work, and sorry to disturb you all, but can you all pause? Take a break, and retreat at least... a hundred meters away from me. Thank you~" Juliette suddenly spoke when she was over a hundred meters away from Fiona and the others.


    Her bell-like tone was not loud, but everyone heard her loud and clear. Even those half a kilometer away.


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    And though confused, they hurriedly did as she instructed. Her words had a certain charm effect that made them want to listen to her words without question.


    While at the same time, a break was more than epted. Especially under this heat.


    "Thank you once more~" Juliette smiled as within one hundred and fifty meters around her, there was no one.


    No living being could be felt within that range.


    "Okay. Fifi, your highness, please watch carefully." She then added, causing the mentioned duo to stagnate their breathes. "You too, Sasha."


    "Yes, mydy." Sasha slightly bowed her head as she intently stared at her master.


    Juliette finally arrived in front of one of the giant metallic pirs, as she wondered to herself if her idea would be usible.


    ''Turning ordinary steel into something more... divine-like.'' She thought to herself, as she stared at the means of doing such a ground breaking thing, for a mortal.


    [ Techniques(1): Mana Incorporation(Godly), Philosophical Mana-Kinesis(Gold) ]


    [ Mana Essence: 17,646 ]


    She stared at the second Technique she had, either than her self-created, now Godly graded, Mana Incorporation Technique.


    Philosophical Mana-Kinesis.


    A Technique that Damien received from fusing with the Mana Heart, a Realistic grade resource.


    As for why she had the same Technique, despite not fusing with a Mana Heart like Damien... there were multiple reasons to this.


    First, Techniques were things people could learn, as long as they met all requirements to learn it. And the requirements for this technique, was to have Mana millions, if not billions of times higher than one''s natural Mana capacity.


    ''As someone whose very cells contain quintillions of Pure Refined Mana, I''ve exceeded that limit by a lot.'' She thought to herself.


    With quadrillion of cells within her being, Juliette and Damien, at this point, truly had infinite Mana within their disposal. Unfortunately... their status still remained "Nigh-Infinite".


    That aside, the second reason was that Juliette and Damien were intricately connected. As the originators of the new Ascendent Human Bloodline, they shared each other''s characteristics.


    Though slightly lowered.


    The effects Damien received from the Fusion with the Mana Heart, Juliette also had them as well within her foundation.


    Thirdly, she was loved by Mana, and her ss was forged based on the path of Mana, thus this technique itself, was one of the things she had a high Affinity with.


    ''Though my mastery of it is still only at Gold grade, it''s not far from bing Unique.'' Shemented to herself, a bit joyful.


    It''s effects were mostly the same, either than the fact that she would obtain one unit of Mana Essence every two hours, instead of one hour. Everything else, remained the same.


    [ Philosophical Mana-Kinesis ]


    [ Grade :- Gold ]


    [ Definition :- Once every two hours, your body will naturally condense a single unit of Mana Essence that is capable of warping the world around you. The higher the Mana Essence, the higher the range you can affect, and the easier it will be to alter Reality to your liking... ten Trillion units of Mana can also be converted to a single unit of Mana Essence. The converted Mana will permanently be lost within your body ]


    "..."


    Silently standing before the metallic pir, that was half a meter thick, as everyone kept their eyes on her, Juliette silently read through the definition of the Technique.


    A simple enough definition.


    She could obtain Mana Essence daily. A type of Essence that would allow her to manipte the Reality around her to her pleasing.


    At the same time, she could permanently discard trillion units of Mana to obtain more Mana Essence. And the Mana will not be recovered, either than through special means, or through cultivation.


    Mind you, ten trillion units of Mana should be something demigods require to truly try and be genuine gods.


    Not even the strongest of demigods have that much at their starting point. And to reach such number, they have to cultivate for over a hundred years at most.


    ''Imagine discarding a hundred years of effort, for just a single unit of Mana Essence, that might not even alter much...'' Juliette understood how greedy this Technique was.


    But the power to alter Reality, was also something else. Such greediness, was well understood.


    "Unfortunately, before me or Dammy, you can only gaze up in awe." Juliette said to herself, as she sacrificed a single cell to the Philosophical Mana-Kinesis Technique.


    A single cell.


    The cell of the originator of the Ascendent Human race.


    A tiny part of her, that contained quintillions of units of Mana. Such a part was casually sacrificed, as her Mana Essence escted.


    Her Mana Essence immediately climbed up by over a hundred thousand units, as Juliette casually sacrificed hundreds of thousand of demigod''s hundred years of effort just like that.


    [ Mana Essence: 449,746 ]


    And that was not all, as seeing the Mana Essence increase, Juliette continued to sacrifice more of her Mana-infused cells.


    ''I can regrow these cells anyway. And I''ll refill them with new Mana soon enough.'' She thought, as a thousand cells were easily sacrificed.


    A thousand.


    A thousand cells just like that.


    And her Mana Essence... was now insane.


    [ Mana Essence: 765,881,944 ]


    ...!!!


    The potency of the Mana Essence around her, were so much, so intense, she subconsciously altered Reality by just breathing.


    Huuuh~


    She subconsciously breathed out. An everyday action she does to absorb Mana, and yet this time, it did not just absorb Mana.


    ...!!!


    The sorounding space around Juliette, suddenly became malleable, like jelly, as it rippled gently under her breathe alone.


    Not only the space, the air, the ground, and even the metallic pirs before her. They all seemed like jelly, as if they would crumble down with a mere squeeze.


    The earth also felt like it would copse if someone ever stepped onto it... gently.


    "..."


    "..."


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